Strawberry Crush
by Artificial Flavoring
Summary: With all these heros gathered in one area, who is left to protect the world, what will become of our homelands? What is really going on in this mansion?WARNING: lemons, horror and violent themes that may disturb. Different POVS. SonicxPeach mainly...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: for specific reason that will become obvious I have changed Character age. I know Amy's twelve, but for all intensive purposes let's say Sonic's not a pedophile and that Amy is 18? Don't like, don't read...**

Chapter one: Sonic

I got the letter on the 11th of September. A little late notice I'd say for a competition that started on the 30th of October.

Dear Hero or Heroine,

How nicely personalized these invites were. How much thought they must have put into each delicately typed word. No sentence closed with a pin point of carbon black ink without the author carefully considering the effect his understated poetry might have on the reader.

Each word made me feel more and more like a statistic.

You are hereby officially invited to the first and perhaps the last Brawl international fighting tournament. Come to test your skills against other superstars from around the world to see who is the best of the best. The winner will receive whatever he or she desires most in the world. The competition will begin October 30th but we expect to hear from you by the 24th of September. Please RSVP by mail to receive details as to location time and exact date of preferred arrival for the tournaments beginning.

Hearing from you soon,

M.H.

It was vague. So very vague. Whoever this M.H. was must have been a much greater writer then I had first suspected.

The suspense was killing me.

I was shamelessly hooked. I pulled out the first scrap of paper I found; surely tails wouldn't miss it, and wrote a rather short RSVP of my own.

Hey,

Yeah, I'll be there, wherever 'there' is. Let me know when and where soon!

This stupid thing arrived on the 11th of September so if it's late, it's not my fault.

Peace, Sonic

Take that you vague bastard.

Surprisingly the next letter came later that week and was even more sparsely detailed than the first.

Pack your things hero. Keep in mind you will be away from your home for a year. A car with black rims and windows will pick you up early on the 3rd of October to take you to the location of the competition ( a rather impressive mansion if I do say so myself). On the way you will be asked to fill out a couple of papers all of which are confidential and will help you in the event that you win. See you in a few weeks.

M.H.

I saw awesome and terrible potential in all this, and not much else in-between. The car with black rims and windows kinda made me nauseas. By the sounds of it this M.H. guy was way more interested in selling me into human trafficking then watching me fight.

But the mansion part, Jesus! That got my attention. Never really stayed in one of those, never really had the chance. Not by myself that is, it seemed that every time the opportunity came up to stay somewhere nice Amy was always right next to me excepting the invitation for both of us.

How aggravating.

She wasn't the girl. And by that I mean I couldn't sleep next to her. Have sex with her, pretend I love her, that sort of thing but never sleep next to her. That takes trust. Naw, who am I kidding, I couldn't sleep most nights. Insomnia plagued me most nights of my life. They consisted of lying in the dark with my eyes wide open staring at the outline of a ceiling fan for nine hours, waiting for movement. Or watching rerun after rerun after rerun on the bright T.V. screen listening to the same laugh reels and the same jokes. After the third week of no sleep the world starts to turn around that ceiling fan and you start to think of the laugh reels and how the people have been dead for no less then thirty years. That's what you think about when you don't sleep. But it's only when you start laughing with those undead only then have you truly lost all hope of recovery.

Only then do you become zombie capitol of Mobotropolis.

That's me.

This is the reason I ran so fast, was so cocky, am so confident. It's all the default settings that everyone is blessed with upon conception, just in case your brain decides to unplug. I'm capable of complex and deep thought I swear, but that just takes too much brain power for someone like me who's running on reserves. So your body works outside your pesky brain to make you walk, talk, and function semi-normally. But really you're just a shell of your true potential. You are just a puppet really with a totally smashed puppet master.

I'm not trying to make excuses for my behavior, by all means. I'm just giving you the facts.

Anyway, I regress. Back to the mansion. Maybe there I could find some sort of peace in a change of surroundings. No Amy, no Knuckles, no Tails. As much as I care about all of them after time your patience does begin to wear. The same old people, the same old scene, the same old bullshit and monotony. For most people it ends somewhere the routine ha! Not here, not for me. Dr. Eggman will eventually try to take over the small world and do so by evil means and everyone will panic. The panic and chaos of everything will erupt to a climax and something huge and epic will happen. No one will have hope for salvation, Dr. Eggman will briefly rein supreme and the end of all we know will loom. Then I appear, since I can't sleep I might as well save the world right? And I do every time, all the time over and over again, save our small world.

And guaranteed it will happen all over again the next day, everyone just as scared, just as surprised.

We are zombie capitol of the world.

The mansion began to sound better and better with every turn of the rusty gears in my head.

But for a year? Could I handle being away from all this for that long? As much as routine drove me nuts it was to an extent comforting in a life with so little.

I put the directional letter in a desk I wouldn't need to look at it again the instructions were clear. Besides I had already written an RSVP my fate was neatly sealed.

_Ah, well, I thought_. _Nothing bad could possibly happen. I'm sure Knuckles and Tails and everyone will understand_.

I should have figured that they would be okay, but I'd forgotten about Amy and the reaction from hell I would get from her. Sure enough the day I was supposed to leave, bags in hand and half way out the door. Who should appear? The one person I didn't give any thought to.

Well, trying to leave quietly for a year and without alerting your supposed girlfriend doesn't usually go hand in hand.

I shouldn't have been so surprised to hear the all too familiar voice.

"Where you going?" I was instantly enraged.

"What? What do ya care?" I threw my bags out the door and followed them.

"What do you mean 'why should I care'?" She did a really dead on impression of me. "I'm your girlfriend," she came towards me arms open.

I felt my body go limp despite the demands of my brain to run screaming.

"I'm leaving Amy, for awhile," I turned to her a humoring smile coming across my cocaine numb face. This is acceptable behavior, my body told my brain. Hold her.

"Well where Sonic?" She caved into my body and put her hands on my face.

I considered telling her a huge lie. Orphans, the President, national Disaster, Eggman again, but the only part of my brain that was functioning the limbic system, told me to be an emotional little girl and spill the beans.

"I'm leaving for a year okay? Is that okay with you Amy?" My body would surely punish me for this outburst. Pulverize my weakened immune system with pneumonia, meningitis.

"A YEAR??!!" She screeched, but why? She was so melodramatic it only encouraged my emotional instability.

"I don't know why because I want to. Got a problem?"

I was split brained. When she said yes, which she would, I might just well stay with her and be happy for the rest of my life. Or I just might take off then and there without another word to her just to ensure she'd cry.

Both seemed so deliciously tragic.

"Yes! Of course I've got a problem!"

Bingo, yatzee, what I tell ya? How predictable.

She pulled me towards her, burying her head into my chest if anything just to get closer to my heart so that when she gnawed it out of my ribcage she'd have a clearer shot.

When you haven't slept for three weeks that's the stuff you think about.

I grabbed her back, giving her skin a caress and my body something to live off before I pushed her away. I picked up my bags and began to walk towards the curb.

"Where are you going exactly?" She grabbed my elbow to stop me.

It was then I realized, "I don't know…"

Her eyes got as wide as a squid, "you don't know?!"

In front of me a starch black car pulled up close to the sidewalk.

The car.

"How do you know you'll be okay?"

"I know because I'm sonic sweets. I'll be more than okay," I threw her a crooked smile I knew she wouldn't be able to say no to.

She looked about as unconfident as I was confident. She saw the car behind me and realization darkened her face, "I can't stop you can I?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "guess not." I took another step towards the curb and I could feel Amy's eyes of doom on me, pink hair in her face and an aura of hopelessness that she wore so well. Her grip on my arm wouldn't break.

She spun me around, a force to be reckoned with, "is there any way that I could come with you?"

"No way!" I didn't even consider the possibility, it was never an option.

"Well," she messed with the hair behind my ears, "I'm gonna really miss you."

"Yeah," there was no in-between, "I'm gonna miss you too." I was either a cold-hearted bastard or a weepy eyed pussy. I gave Amy a kiss.

Her mouth left mine and began to trace a line to my ear. Normally not a nasty girl, Amy's deliberate attempt to give me a raging hard on was raising red flags. She reached my ear and without much notice began to nibble and bite.

I became subdued, gelatinous, and ready for whatever she was planning, I wouldn't put up a fight. I started to float out of consciousness as hearts raced and breathing increased. This was the only time I ever really felt alive or close to it.

A honk from the car behind me made both of us jump. Reality rushed in and I was even angrier then before.

"Yeah, yeah give me a minute!" I shouted over my shoulder. "Okay Amy make it quick I got to go seriously."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, "a year is a long time to be away from your girlfriend, don't ya think?"

Wonderful Amy. Stupid Amy. I'm about to take off for a year to God knows where by myself, and she's not questioning any of this. Wonderfully stupid Amy was more concerned with being porked one final time.

Sometimes I wondered, maybe she was the perfect girl for me.

There was another honk from the car.

"SHIT!!!"

"Oh, Sonic don't be so vulgar. I'll talk to him," She pranced off to the curbside window, bubbles seemed to trail behind.

I turned rubbing my head with my hand. I sucked in a few breaths. I couldn't wait for the smell of the car, the feel of victory closing in.

But I could humor Amy, once more…

I heard footsteps behind me, "he said that he could wait thirty minutes." Amy cooed down my neck.

"What did you tell him?" I was semi-horrified. Meh, what did it matter?

Without a word or eye contact I grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the house and into the lab. There we made good use of our thirty minutes all over Tail's computer chair. Amy begged me not there. What choice did she have?

As soon as I finished I was gone. Amy told me obsessively how much she loved me as she began to fall asleep.

"Don't forget me Sonic!"

_Yeah, yeah…_

"It wouldn't feel so amazing if we weren't so very right together."

The sex was good but anything amazing would have to be put under investigation.

"Please don't leave me Sonic," she said sleepily.

"Mmm-hhmmm," I hoisted her into my arms and carried her to my bedroom. Lying her down on the bed, I was grateful that someone would get some use out of it.

"Sonic you came so deep inside of me, what if I get pregnant?"

"Don't be stupid, I'm sterile," I would say a list of ridiculous things to get her off my back.

"Sterile people don't cum silly!"

Wonderful stupid Amy.

"See ya in a year sweets," I kissed her yawning mouth.

She mumbled something incoherent as I slammed the door between us closed.

The cars insides were impressively impersonal. The car contained leather for days, speakers to replace regular talking, and a window to separate the driver and passenger.

"Don't worry about me," I said sarcasm being lost on the dark pane of glass. I'll get my own bags.

"How very typical of you hero types. Unprofessional," the speaker next to me scoffed.

Who was this guy? Where did he get off with an attitude like that? Better question; who cares?

"Hey, buddy, how about you focus on driving as not so much sticking your nose in other people's business huh?" I yelled at the speaker.

"You should have dealt with your personal business before the last minute," the driver said pulling onto the street.

The gall.

I pressed my forehead against the window that was protecting the driver from an untimely demise, "do you get paid to be such an insufferable asshole because you're really good at it."

I heard a click next to me as a couple sheets of paper popped from a secret compartment.

The papers were canary yellow the color of importance, they were crisp and warm as if they had just been freshly printed for my aesthetic appreciation.

"Now fill those out as quickly as possible and don't lag."

The nerve.

"You must have them filled out by the time we reach the mansion."

The paper was full of questions. Boring questions, generic questions, the kind of questions your doctor asks you during a physical.

Weight, height, allergies, I didn't answer any of these. Why were the answers significant?

Name? Sonic the Hedgehog with loves bitches, left or right- handed? What the hell did that matter? Well, I jack off with my right I guess that's the million dollar answer for such a pertinent question. I scribbled down the each response rather humorlessly as the driver continued to turn corners and pass down alleyways gray and abandoned. All of this I saw in only bits and pieces just beyond my peripheral vision as I filled out my application. Finally the last question was presented. In the event of your victory, what do you wish to be your prize?

"Hey what do I do with this?" I pushed the papers against the glass.

"Give them to the boss he's inside."

"Where?" I asked.

"Look to your left."

Sure enough there it was high, white, columned and massive. The single most luxurious place I had ever come across. The place was graced with almost Spanish architecture against rolling hills and surrounded by mountainous trees. I could also see some Japanese influences but the atmosphere was mostly Mediterranean. The car had parked in a round about type structure and in front of us was the grand entrance. I nearly forgot my bags in my zeal to search the grounds, to feel around. Shaking with excitement I ran up stairs that lead me passed a marvelous Grecian statue of an Aquarius woman, up to more stairs until I hit an arched entryway to a long marbled porch. The door into the mansion was glass with wrought iron grilled and twisted into impressive and masterful flower patterns that were hard to see through. I pressed my nose against it put could see no sign of life. I rang the doorbell that looked more expensive then my life and waited. After like a million years of waiting without any answer I decided to do some superficial exploration. I took the path to the right hoping to find something in that direction. There was a beautiful garden blooming big with flowers and greenery, everything huge and gaudy smelling like incense and honey. In the distant further down one of the hills I could see a massive pool sparkling blue and white a perfect replication of the sky above so that the viewer felt a sense of vertigo, where did the earth end and the sky begin?

Heaven didn't have a damn thing of this place.

"Sonic? I presume?"

It was the door. Someone had finally answered the bell and the said person was now waiting behind me.

"Yup, that's me." I picked up my bags, "you can take it from here right?"

The man gave me an undeserved nasty look before relieving me of my load.

"Right this way…sir," he nearly choked on his last word. He was so good at that classic butler thing that if I had had any money I would have tipped him.

He opened the big wrought iron door and led me through a long linoleum walkway, under arched doors, and through a hall of mirrors and statues and Persian rugs. At the end of the journey there was a huge ornate golden door.

"They're in there," he pointed. "I'll take your bags to your room where they will be waiting for you."

I took a deep breath and listened to the footsteps of the butler as he wandered further from me. I pushed open the doors and stepped into a huge dining hall with a very Elizabethan feel.

I took the only empty seat by the door, sizing up my competition I was being met with some rather angry faces.

"What's up?"

"You're late that's what," a red-haired man whose nose was more impressively structured then the house was a bold fellow.

"Well, then how 'bout you catch me up on what I missed?"

"Nothing," Mario. I looked up to the small Italian legend to confirm. "We haven't started."

"It seems then that I'm not late."

"We were waiting for you to begin," the voice was dark and smoky. I turned towards it's ferocity to find a puffball in my view.

My snort of surprise was loud and reverberating.

The masked puffball was glaring daggers at me. I just laughed even more uncontrollably. Weak competition if you ask me.

Just then the doors flew open as our host made his way to the head chair.

He was a hand. That's it. No muscles, flexors or extensors, no epidermis, no brain. He was just huge and floating and wriggling his phantom extremities.

"Wow," I heard someone mutter as the hand sat, a loose statement, in its seat. It didn't have to wait for our attention he had had it all along.

"I for the sake of all will make this brief," where the hell the voice was coming from was the million dollar question.

"There are some certain ground rules that you must be aware of. First there are no girls in the men's wing and no men in the girls wing…"

I smirked, easy.

"Not fighting outside of the arenas unless it is for training purposes."

Don't let anyone piss you off, got it.

"There is to be no drinking for those under the age of 21…"

I'm 21 it's all good.

"Fourth and lastly there are to be no alliance or teams being forged inside the house, it's every man for himself. Now in regards to the final prize it can be anything you wish, that of course being what you wrote on your papers on the trip over. If at any time that desire may change just talk to either me or someone else here on the staff. The wish will also be granted in the event of your victory only if it doesn't conflict with the wishes or desires of another. So let's say Gannondorf wishes for Links death, that would obviously conflict with Links desires to remain living. So the wish would be invalid and Gannondorf would be asked to select another. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary for Gannondorf to make a reasonable request."

"What about handicaps?" A female asked.

And a looker at that. She had long golden hair, long slender ears and wrists and eyes the color of peace. What a specimen. You know for those who may have an unfair advantage, she concluded her thought giving a nervous sideways cock of the head towards the beast at the other end of the table.

Gannondorf caught the motion and laughed. An almost flattered look stroked his face.

"Well, yes there will be some handicaps placed on those with certain extraordinary abilities. Faster fighters will have their speed reduced ands strong fighters will also be subdued. Moreover those who can fly will have their ability neutralized."

"How much?" I asked, "How much will the handicap effect fast fighters?"

The M.H. was not a generous fellow, "for you Sonic nearly half."

"Half!" I was on my feet, singled out, the sacrificial lamb, the Jew in Nazi Germany. I looked around for someone else who shared my indignation. Surprise, surprise not a soul. "HALF??!!!" I screamed again as if he hadn't been there for my first squeaky outburst.

"You are at least ten times faster then anyone here you will still have a substantial advantage."

"What about stronger people? What will be their handicap?" Some guy in a cape was trying to steal my moment.

"Depends on the competitor, Gannondorf will be unable to use the triforce as will be the same for Link. You Ike will be unable to use the power of Aetha and so on and so forth down the line."

There was an all around air of smugness form the brawny group, no handicap would stop them. What a bunch of assholes.

I sat back down. No use arguing with someone with no frontal lobe.

"Will there ever be a time when the handicaps come off?" Elf woman was full of questions. Every statement stemmed back to Gannondorf. I was beginning to see a pattern of distrust.

"Yes," the M.H. was floating like a giant over inflated balloon stiff and still. "There are smash balls that will be employed occasionally into the battles. This will temporarily remove the handicaps."

"Ah, I see," the Elf cast her eyes to the floor.

"If that is all the questions, then I will continue to the rooming situation. First I will let all of the women know that each of you will be able to have your own room." There was a break in the speech and another question, "Yes Nana?"

"Will I and my brother still be able to fight together even though we aren't rooming together?"

"Yes of course."

The brother and sister smiled at each other. Matching parkas, real cute.

"So when you hear your name please come up and get the key to your room, you are then free to leave and get yourself settled in. First off, Princess Peach!"

They say that when you see the one you love, time slows down. Well, that's a rotten lie. It speeds up. You see bit and pieces, blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect legs moving briskly, a gloved hand then she's gone and all that she has left you with is a smell and the overwhelming feeling that you have missed something. Then everything moved independently of me. People pulled apart from the table, grabbed keys then left the room. I can't remember taking mine, but I did. Night as restless as it could have been. My internal voice a fugue, my stomach a constant knot to keep bile from rising into my esophagus, and my senses trying to convert a smell to something edible and tangible was an exhausting effort that made hours twist to minutes. I was ill with the anticipation of seeing her again.

I woke up the next morning. I had slept? A good hour according to my rooms' clock. Amazing.

My roommate had already left (it was Mr. Game and watch by the way) and all seemed to be relatively quiet.

And it stayed that way with little to no sightings of the Princess, my Princess for nearly a month well there was a few times by the pool, but I'd rather not get into that. I figured everyone was training in case they were the first to fight on the 30th. No on wanted to loose any points right off the bat. I wasn't scared I knew I'd do fine I am Sonic and with or without a handicap, I own.

But I didn't. The first fight, yeah it was me, and for the record I couldn't have gotten less of a heads up, and it was against Pit. The guy with the wing handicap and the running shorts, that one. I don't really want to talk about it but is seems if all of this is to progress and to make sense I have to. So I'll make it quick. The guy had a dress and feathered hair. He might have even been wearing sandals but I wasn't awake long enough to analyze his footwear. The arena was massive and filled with people were find they get such a huge audience I will never know. They even had a plasma screen television for endorsements and fighter statistics. Commentators with their crisp ironed voices narrated the fight.

This is all I remember.

"Sonic and Pit make their way to the center stage. Sonic of course having a great speed and fan advantage over the old school Pit seems more then a shoe-in for the win today."

"Oh, I disagree I think Pit has the greatest mixture of both speed and brawn to win this match today, regardless of Sonic massive fan base."

"Well that most certainly is a good point. We'll see how it all pans out in a few minutes. There's the signal to start and the contestant are assuming positions."

"It seems that Sonic has assumed his famous curled position and has launched himself...," the rest I don't remember. But I can safely assume that their succeeding comments were something to this effect.

"Oh….,"cue a long dramatic pause and a gasp from the audience. "Well, um…it seems that Pit has with one hit knocked the true blue blur unconscious."

"He definitely isn't moving very much, is he?"

"Indeed he isn't. Let's see what the ref. has to say about Sonic's condition." (A few agonizing seconds of lag) "Yes, he is unconscious the fight goes to Pit!!"

"And a lame fight at that."

"At only thirty seconds it could possibly be the shortest recorded fight in history. Sonic has lost and ten points are rewarded to Pit."

The son of a bitch.

When I cam back into consciousness, so temporary as it was, I was on a gurney with Peach the golden haired angel with her pale wrist so close, guiding me under one fluorescent light then another. When I blacked out again the smell of strawberry was deep in my system.

This was the first time I dreamed of Peach.

She was naked, made of hills, pearls and pomegranate, sprawled on her back on black sheets blinking her dark lashes as if waking. Her hair was splayed out across her chest in ripples like a map for my hands to cross and when I touched her, skin met goddess soft velvet and the electric current made me tense in my stomach. I circled my fingers around her breast, perfect handfuls, until she smiled a half moon arching herself to me, I moaned, the feel of her perfect physique making me harder then trigonometry.

"Come here," she whispered.

I fell on her ravenous and in torture with the weight of my wanting, so heavy I knew my body would be wasted once it was satisfied. The last of my existence for this moment, for Peach, lots of things die after they fuck and they are more then happy. The crown was gone from her head showing me that she was more mine then a princess so I kissed her right on the lips and savored her returning affection. As I fought my way into her, Peach tore at the sheets around her, gripping them tight in her small hands. I felt the virgin head break, and in a moment she was good for no other man but me, christening the pain she felt with a sharp yelp.

I apologized with a kiss on each of her eyelids.

Oh, what a virgin she had been. With little effort and time spend on the minor details she erupted, wrapping herself firmly around me. I thought of the look on Amy's face if she were to find me in such a compromising position to keep from exploding myself. I wrapped my arms around Peach and buried my head into the nook between her chin and shoulder, biting preparing to ride her though a long beautiful wave after wave. I could feel the lubb dubb in her chest as the heart there pumped liters of blood to all the right places and her nails dug into my back. The feeling of it all was sublime.

When she finished she was still clinging to me and breathing in my ear like she knew the effect it had.

"Stop," she nearly pleaded. "It hurts…"

But goddamn it, how could I? How could she ask that?

"No Peach," I laughed. "It's too tight I think I'm caught." I whispered in her ear, "you gotta let go of me lovely."

She nodded once, forcefully unhinging her arms from around me. I pulled them over her head keeping them locked by the wrists.

"Can you let me finish?"

So help the girl, she nodded her head, but her eyes were panicked letting me know that she didn't have a clue as to what I was talking about. I couldn't help but laugh.

I started rocking her again.

"Stop! Please! Don't move it!!"

I grabbed her jaw with my free hand and coaxed it open, shoving a length of my tongue into her mouth tasting vanilla and cinnamon. It was a strong hint but she took it and proceeded to shut the hell up. I moved my free hand between her legs to help myself finish the job, making mad work of her there while my mouth drooled on and over hers, the hand that held her wrist bore bruises into them.

She would remember me at least for a few days.

I bit her in the frenzy to be acknowledged, my sharp little teeth causing her to arch again. My hand slipped under her and held her so.

"Oh please!! Stop it!! It all hurts… so bad!!"

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her delicate body being destroyed under me.

She climaxed again to her and Is' surprise squeezing unconsciously internally those tight warm walls.

"AHHhh! Sonic!!"

Her toes curled and my eyes rolled back in my head. I pulled myself up over her releasing her arms. My hands on her shoulders, I told her, "say my name again."

In-between gasps, "Sonic!"

Frenzied, "again!!"

She was lost in her own ecstasy.

"PEACH!!" I shook her, "do you want me to come in you?"

Shaky nods were her only reply and then, "but it burns…I don't know what you're going to do to me!"

"It's going to feel so good Peach. I'm going to make you feel so warm! Do you want that?"

She meekly nodded her head.

"But you have to ask me nicely Peach," there was a trail of fluids between me and her. Rubbing against her was all the coaxing she needed.

"OH! Sonic! Sonic! PLEASE!!"

My blood boiled and a huge pressure was building, painfully as I dived, "keep…talking."

"What do I say? Ah, that hurts!" She was sobbing.

"But, you like it. Do you like it?"

"Yes. Oh God!!"

I ran my thumb over her mouth around her lips, has anyone made you feel this good?

"No…never!"

_And never again_ I thought.

Out of nowhere an earthquake erupted shaking me from my pit as I began emptying every drop of myself into the Princesses reciprocal, growling and moaning my fool head off.

"Sonic!! SONIC!!"

It was then I noticed something was wrong. I wasn't shaking I was being shaken. And I was aware of an image, Peach over me not under me, calling my name again and again not in ecstasy but rather concern.

Realization hit me like a freight train.

_Don't do this to me_, I thought as the image of the moaning Peach left me for the reality over me.

Shit.

"Sonic are you all right?" The Goddess.

I noticed first that I could only see out of one eye so I reached for my other. A bandage was all I could feel. Pit.

That son of a bitch.

Then I was mildly aware of the warm, sticky between my legs.

"Oh, no…," I mumbled before I could catch myself.

"Sonic what's the matter?"

_Answer her you idiot!_ "Oh, nothing I'm fine. Why… *gasp*…what's up?" I was panting, hard, barely able to talk.

"Well," she crossed her arms. "You were moaning in your sleep, a lot…"

God she was beautiful. I tried to play it off as if I had no idea what she was talking about, "really? That's strange because I feel fine…ah!" The little bit of whatever was left in me decided to make a rather abrupt exit at that very moment.

"Well, I thought you might have been in pain." She hadn't notice, "how's your head?" She reached her long slender arm to my forehead and gently caressed the area.

I melted into the pillows, "wha…?"

"This silly," she smiled causing her eyes to squint.

"Wha…?" _The bandage you idiot!_ I had to close my eyes to talk to her, "oh, yeah that!!! Excellent, can't feel a thing."

"That's good. I wrapped it myself so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out."

"You..? You helped me?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"And have you been here all night?"

"Yup."

I knew how I was staring at her, in confusion, extreme gratitude and love. I didn't even care if she noticed. I wanted her to see, I would never be able to successfully express these sensations to her orally. The thoughts in me were too complex and intricate to communicate. Convictions were rising so quickly that I had no idea as to how to even beginning categorizing them let alone following them. I imagined an electrical storm inside my brain, that's what they say it looks like when you have a seizure. When you are overloaded with information and you mind tries to compensate with a plethora of pulses until everything just shuts down.

Yeah, for sure Peach wouldn't understand that. So I just smiled crookedly at her instead, "thanks."

"Of course no problem!" She cocked her head to the side to get a closer look at the damage done to my head, "poor Sonic." She roamed behind my ear giving it a scratch, "this shouldn't happen to someone so cute!"

Oh, yeah she wanted me.

Now, normally I would hate to be talked to like a dog, but I could make an exception. Just this once.

"Anything else I could do for you?"

As huge of an orgasm as I had just had, I found myself getting hard again, which reminded me. I searched quickly for a bathroom I could see one across the hall. "Um, yeah actually could you go get me something to drink? And a couple more blankets?"

"Sure. Are you cold?"

Actually I was burning up, but I knew that the heat would go away and I would be left in a cold sweat, "yeah, extremely."

"Well, the pain killers you're on have that side-effect."

"What like wet dreams?" I was horrified.

"Huh? What was that?" She hadn't heard. Thank you lord!

"Nothing. The medicine's giving me the chills."

She smiled at me, "okay I'll be right back." I followed her down the hall, my eyes tracing a line up and down her perfect hourglass body. Since when had her dressed gotten so tight?

I broke my leer in favor of better game.

I rushed to the bathroom just across the hall and as quickly as I could finished myself off a second time, the thought of her ass in that dress burning me up. I then cleaned myself off as best as I could in the sink. I ran back into my room and grabbed the blankets I had cum on shoving them into the cabinet under the sink. The maid would find them in the morning but by then I would be long gone.

I got back into the room just in time. Peach had the drinks balanced on a tray and the blankets thrown over her arm.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I brought some options," she set the tray down on the table next to me. "I brought milk, orange juice, and some water. No soda it's far too late for that it would keep you up all night."

"Ha! Oops…sorry. I mean, thanks."

She opened up the blanket, "here." She threw it over me, "comfortable?"

I was mesmerized, "yea."

"What would you like to drink?"

"The orange juice would be great."

She handed it to me, "take this too." It was a small red and white pill.

I was skeptical, "okay if the doctor says so." I shoved the pill in my mouth and downed the orange juice.

"Better?" She took the empty glass form me, setting it back on the tray.

"Much. So," I was truly feeling better and was ready to talk. "What did you think of that joke of a match, huh?"

"It was okay, it wasn't very much of a fight I'd say."

"Please, I would have kicked that guys butt if he hadn't cheated."

"Oh? And how did he cheat exactly?"

"He was like a big huge billboard for a gay bar it was distracting with the wings and the dress and the sandals. He was wearing running shorts, did you see that bullshit?"

She laughed.

"And a tiara! Holy cow I forgot about that."

"That's not cheating!" She pushed me gently on the shoulder. "Silly."

It might just have been me but her hand lingered there for a second. She placed her hand back on her lap where I stared at it. Without thinking, a routine thing for me, I grabbed the hand that had so briefly touched me, feeling momentarily the valley between her thighs. I brought the hand to my face giving it a tug, "come here!" I mimicked the voice from my dream.

"Gosh, d-demanding aren't we?!"

"Just come here!"

She stood up tentatively giving me the once over, to see if my intention were pure. She must have seen something I didn't know I had and took a step forward. When she was close enough for me to wrap an arm around I grabbed her about the waist. For a second we were in a pose like we were going to start dancing, her arm on my shoulder and mine the way they were. I brought her to the edge of the bed and sat her on it. She followed my lead giving only a few words of protest.

"Wait…? Hold on…? Sonic!!"

Once I had her successfully sat down I dropped the weight of my head into her lap.

"H-hey what d-do you t-think…?"

"Scratch it!" I pointed at my ear. I had my eyes closed a bit embarrassed by my own boldness so I couldn't tell if she was seriously as flustered as she sounded.

"Oh, but Sonic if someone were to walk in what would they think?"

"Scratch it!!"

No matter how she felt she began to gently massage the area.

She wanted me.

I clutched the blanket she had placed on me and tried to stay awake. That's right. Stay awake! Something was putting me to sleep and fast. Nothing ever put me to sleep. A drossy stupor was coming over me so quickly, intoxicating me. I buried my head into her lap feeling silk and smelling more then strawberry.

_Stay awake_, I thought to myself. _Savor this!! Be here for this!! This might never happen again!! Acknowledge that!!_

She felt so good running her hands over my quills and petting my ears, _marry me Peach. Marry me right now. _

That's how I fell asleep. Not knowing if the last thing I had said had been said only in my head or if I had straight up asked Peach to by my wife.

19


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Meta Knight

We were left waiting for that moronic hedgehog for a little over an hour. While I waited I observed my competitors. I closely studied their moves and watch for subtle ticks that might give away any clue as to their fighting styles.

The man next to me seemed the most formidable. He would present a challenge in the future I was sure of this. He had an arrogant, no not the right word, confident air about him the way he barely seemed to skim over the crowd as if he was aware of our weakness and strengths beforehand. He gave me a discomforting feeling, but I remained stoic externally as to not give my worry away.

Kirby was here. He had arrived after me and upon seeing me sitting at the nearly full table sat himself next to me with a characteristic squeak. He smiled up at me obviously ecstatic to see some form of familiarity. He had been in this competition several times before; perhaps he would be able to give me a few pointers as how to quickly and efficiently wipe out the other fighters.

Finally!! The hedgehog arrived the smug idiot, walking into the great hall as if he owned it, smiling his cocky smile at all of us. He looked briefly at the décor then dismissed it as if it was all inferior to him. I would have liked to bash every tooth right out of his head but I remained seated. My time in the ring with him would come and it would be then that my vengeance would be felt. Then he had the audacity to laugh at me in front of everyone! How very uncivilized.

The rest needs not be mentioned other then to say it was a waste of my time. The rules this so called 'Master Hand' informed us of were generic and I could have definitely figured them out all in good time without this ridiculous meeting.

Well, all was not useless. I learned the names of my foes as they went to collect the keys to their rooms. However, it would take time to memorize them and put names to faces. To know your enemies is the first step to conquering them. I knew Sonic and Gannondorf, the most impressive figure at the table. There was of course Kirby and a Wario who was to be my roommate. He seemed, at the time, to be sane enough, I figured by his body language that what he lacked in skill he made up for in sheer erratic maneuvers leaving his enemies more confused then anything. I ended the initial evaluation, concluding in mild frustration that I would be rooming with someone from whom I would have nothing to learn.

Ah, well. I settled in that night planning to train everyday until the first fighter list was posted in the main hall. I must hone my skills. I was good, but as good as the others here? To assume that could warrant failure. It never pays to be overconfident. The hedgehog would learn that soon enough.

The next day was the first of several very intense days to follow. It started with a very nicely prepared breakfast in the dining room. A lovely place with a wall lined with windows displaying a view of the grounds. The place was truly superb! Whoever built it was a true genius, something I can appreciate. For there are so very few of them left alive. That became more and more apparent as I continued to talk, rather, tried to talk to my roommate. To put it lightly, he was a complete moron.

"So this is also your first competition? How do you think you'll fair?"

"I does not matter how I fair!" The man's voice was like a trumpet out of tune. "I just came here for the lovely children."

"Do you mean to say that you are here for some sort of charity?"

"If that is what you call it."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Soon you will. Soon there will be enough lovely children to make twenty sweet rave parties."

It was at that exact moment I gave up trying to communicate with my roommate, permanently.

Sitting in the dining room munching on my bacon, I considered the possibility of changing roommates. Would I have to go to the Master Hand? Or could I simply swap with someone without going to him. The latter would be so much easier. I decided to keep quiet unless I where to overhear anyone else complaining about their rooming situation. That's when I would make the proposal, until then I figured it best just to endure.

It was some time into the second week in the house when I began to loose my mind. I could only stay in the gym between the hours of 6 am until 10pm at which time it would close. I would either have the option to return to my room were I knew that invalid was surely waiting or wonder the grounds until 12 midnight when it was mandatory that all occupants return to their rooms and remain there until 6 am the next morning. To say the least I was left with plenty of time to myself, to ponder, observe and meditate.

I found myself unintentionally lurking the in the hallways at night trying desperately to find anything that would no matter how temporarily keep me from having to return to my room. Occasionally I would run into someone and strike up a conversation. On one such event I had the fortune experience of speaking to a lovely young girl named Jigglypuff.

She offered me the first time we spoke, if one can fathom the concept intelligent enjoyable conversation for nearly an hour I daresay. Though there was something wrong with her diction, the pauses and how she spoke altogether. It seemed to be rehearsed. Could it be that she had anticipated our meeting? Replaying her responses and questions over and over again in her head until she got it all down just right? Seems improbable but that is the impression I got.

I was outside at the time, gazing at the lush gardens watching Kirby frolic through them, trying in vain to catch a butterfly here a dragonfly there. It was really very endearing.

It was then a heard a small voice behind me,

"Um, excuse me?"

I turned on the tiny Jigglypuff she seemed to be taken aback as if she hadn't expected me to even acknowledge her existence.

"Do you know the way to the gym?"

I gave her a second look over. How nervous she was. I could tell her eyes were dilated, her fight or flight response was in full force. Was I really that intimidating?

"Yes, it's that way. Just passed the pool, in the big glass building. Shouldn't you know?"

"Oh, what do you mean?"

"You've been in this competition twice before haven't you?"

"Yea, but the location changes every time. To keep us on our toes," she smiled then.

She was trying to be funny.

I couldn't bring myself to laugh. It would have been faked anyway. I figured she would take off as soon as she had gotten the desired information but she lingered as if waiting for me to say something else.

I took the bait, "yes?"

"Well, I was actually wondering..."

I didn't reply and waited instead for her to finish her sentence. She did, clearly determined to get what she had to say out.

"I've seen you working out and you're really good. Do you think you could give me a few pointers?"

"I'm not obligated to give out my training secrets to my competition."

"I figured that we could swap training routines you know so that both of us could benefit?"

I didn't answer this. I figured that she was trying a few angles to keep the discussion alive. I closed my eyes and tried to will her out of existence.

"You might as well give up. I'm not going to give you anything."

I heard a low growl. It was so impressive that I opened my eyes expecting to confront a great beast of sorts, but there in front of me stood Jigglypuff just as before. Her body puffed up and her eyes slanted down into a glare.

"Why can't you just help me?!"

The ferocity of her voice sent me back a few steps

"I mean it's taken me so long to even come over and talk to you. You can at least be friendly."

I turned to her, "stubborn aren't we?" I had my blade out and hanging in my right hand. There was no way I was going to draw it on the girl it was merely a scare tactic to get her to leave me alone. It didn't work. She looked the blade up and down before puffing herself up further.

"You think that's gonna frighten me away? Huh?"

"No I suppose it isn't. You're far too stubborn to just leave."

She nodded her head, "damn straight! So are you going help me or aren't you?"

I considered. She really deserved to be helped she was giving such a fight and I found her fiery spirit intriguing.

I sighed, "okay I will help you."

"Yay!"

"But if I find out that you are sharing these sessions with anyone else I will be forced to end them."

She nodded her head, smiling crazily.

This is how I met Jigglypuff.

In a lot of ways she was very similar to me. And I of course don't mean in the way that we were both vertically challenged in comparison with others, but rather in her manner. Even though she had been in this competition twice before she honestly couldn't say that she had never actually made any real friends.

Our conversations started out rather awkward. Me not really caring but feeling none-the-less like I should say something and her apparently not having thought this far ahead had no more rehearsed responses or ice-breakers. Therefore after I would show her a few tricks and she in return would give me a few pointers, we would proceed to go to opposite ends of the gym and practice the newly learned methods separately. But as time wore on we grew closer and closer until we no longer parted at all during these sessions, we would instead stay near to each other and talk in between sparing. I don't know if I'd call it a friendship, but it was nice and gave me something more interesting to do then just wander aimlessly.

Jigglypuff proved herself to be just as fiery as those first few moments of conversation had suggested. She would try a technique over and over again, relentlessly until she got them all down just right. She was always at the gym before me, practicing anything she might have had trouble with the day before. She would always smile when she saw me, "Meta Knight, I'm kinda having trouble."

Jigglypuff was stubborn this is true, but too proud to ask for help? Not at all.

I would have lost to learn from her, this I knew as a certainty.

Jigglypuff kept me sane those first couple of weeks.

On one such fine day spent practicing fervently with Jigglypuff she mentioned to me.

"Hey, isn't that your roommate?"

I peered were she was pointing her finger just through the windows to our left and out past the gardens to the pool where Lucas, Ness and the young Princess Peach all were swimming and enjoying themselves.

"Where? I'm afraid I don't see him…"

"Behind those bushes…Is he spying on Peach and those other people in the pool? I think he's touching himself!!!"

Sure enough I was able to make out small patches of yellow and goggles catching the sun just behind the large bush.

"Ew, your roommates a peeping tom!!"

"Uhg….I must stop this."

"Wait your not going to fight him are you? You know what the Master Hand said, no fighting outside of the arena blah blah blah!"

"Someone has to teach him a lesson for spying on women."

Jigglypuff grabbed my arm and looked very desperately at me. When she couldn't say what she wanted she just smiled, "your right kick his butt, just don't get yourself kicked out, kay?"

I nodded my head to her before jumping down from the balcony to the pool, my cape landing in a whirlwind after me. I hadn't meant to startle Peach and her companions but they all jumped impressively at the sight of me.

"Jeez Meta Knight what an entrance!" Ness was ecstatic. "I wish I could fly like that!" Lucas nodded at him.

It was Peach who asked the question, "What brings you down here?"

"A saw a rat near the pool."

"Yuck! A rat?!" Peach covered herself as if a rat could leer at her. Well big ones can.

"Do not worry Princess. I will dispose of it quickly and efficiently. You will have never even known it existed."

I think my statement confused them, "so you're gonna kill it?" Lucas looked extremely distraught.

"No never kill Lucas, do not worry. I'm just going to teach it some etiquette."

"Um okay?" I could tell that behind me the company was all looking at each other for answers.

I drew my sword and made my way around the pool careful to keep my eyes on that little patch of yellow to make sure it stayed put. I'm sure he would have noticed me, jumping form the balcony and talking to the trio in the pool, but he had yet to move. He obviously didn't think I was coming after him. Is it possible that he assumed that I hadn't seen him? Did he think me that stupid?

As I rounded the bush I faced the perpetrator, sure enough it was Wario if there had been any doubt in my mind.

"Fight me you cretin!"

He jumped, "oh, Meta Knight you gave me quite a scare you should be careful. Who gave you a sword you are too young to be playing with sharp objects."

If he was trying to be funny or sarcastic it was in poor taste and I was humorless, "prepare yourself for a lesson in manners you will never forget."

He looked strangely at me, "what you mean by all this?"

With my sword I drew a line from him to the poolside where Lucas, Ness and Princess Peach were all exiting the pool.

"Oh, caught I see!" Wario laughed his revolting excuse of a laugh.

Before I could retort or make the first move something blue came flying from the trees. It was on Wario instantly serving back and forth to make and second and then a third run at him. The blur skidded to a stop, grabbing Wario around the neck as it finally halted crashing onto the cement.

I couldn't believe who I saw. That damned cocky hedgehog had both his hands around the pervert's fat jugular. Wario's eyes were bulging from built up pressure.

"Sick bastard," the hedgehog was proving himself to be a rather fearsome rival. Wario was unable to get his fat little arms around Sonic's hands to even begin attempting to pull them off of him which is when he started panicking, loosing air quicker then if he had just remained calm.

But Wario, as much of a surprise as it was to me, was not completely useless. He noticed a chance for escape using not his arms but his legs instead by kicking Sonic directly in the groin.

Now as much pleasure as this sight brought me, Sonic doubling over in pain, that smug crooked grin leaving his face as he fought not to vomit I could not let such a dirty move go unchecked. Before Wario could waddles another inch towards Sonic I intervened.

"That Wario was a cheap move, and only someone with no respect for himself as a fighter or human being would pull such a despicable trick," I could hear Sonic on the pavement next to me choking.

Wario was shaking now in trepidation. Knowing well that he had gone too far he spoke in weak defense of himself, "the hedgehog had no right to attack me! Why, I was just getting some sun by the pool."

I hate liars. Especially terribly unconvincing liars, "this is untrue Wario and you are perfectly aware of what you were really doing here."

"YEAH!"! The hedgehog verbalized this at an unnecessarily high octave. He was staring at Peach!! Speaking of, the Princess had come around to peek at the calamity that was slowly building behind the bushes.

"Oh, Sonic are you okay!!" She rushed to his side.

He looked more then pathetic lying there holding himself tying to keep composure and dignity intact. I have to give the kid some credit, as ill as he seemed he was able to spare a smile and speak in a relatively stable manner, "just fine now. Even better if you'd kiss it…"

"Kiss what?" Peach was genuinely confused.

I turned from the couple in mild disgust at the hedgehog's uncouth manners to draw a sword to Wario, "I better, for your sake, never see you around the poolside again." Someone was at my side, Jigglypuff had joined the brawl.

"Yeah, you sicko!!"

"Please let me explain! The hedgehog is crazy and on drugs, he obviously doesn't know what he is talking about."

Sonic yelled out some expletives run together so expertly that it seemed almost like poetry. Ah, profanity the crutch of the mentally impaired.

"I was not here for the Princess as delicious of a side dish as she maybe."

"Why you cantankerous shit eater," Princess Peach had to physically restrain Sonic from charging Wario. Not to say that she didn't look as if she would have loved to decapitate him herself.

"Don't do anything yet Sonic," Jigglypuff was a woman of a kind heart. "Just let him explain himself."

"Yes, listen to the marshmallow."

I felt a burning anger deep in the pit of my being that surprised me. Jigglypuff had inflated herself and was shaking with tremors of hate. I put my sword in front of Jigglypuff to make sure she wouldn't attack Wario prematurely. Not yet

"Don't you understand that I wasn't here for the Princess? Please let me go."

There was an air of confusion that came over the group. We all looked at each other. Sonic was finally standing with the help of Peach and had a relieved look on his face, I wasn't so easily fooled. Something in Wario's eyes was more then giving away his prerogative.

"You were staring at someone. Confess!!" I thrust my sword into Wario's face. He stared at it before his eyes wandered to Lucas and Ness.

_Enough children to make twenty rave parties!_

"…KILL HIM!!"

Sonic got at him first even though he had been furthest away, he was quick. Then it was me because I'm quick also, then Jigglypuff. Peach was too confused and Lucas and Ness, too slow. The carnage that ensued was stuff of legend. We tried to keep it quiet and out of sight. So we chased him to the outer limits of the grounds before teaching him a lesson on pedophilia and how those that practice it know only pain.

When we were done the sun was setting as the three of us made our way back to the mansion speaking here and there.

"I'm sorry that he's your roommate Meta Knight. That just seems unfair. You being so cool and him being so icky," I could tell Jigglypuff was trying to find a solution to my predicament. "Hey, Sonic?!"

"Fat chance Sweetie. No way am I trading Mr. Game and Watch, who by the way doesn't talk, for that moron. I'm good off that guy."

"Darn worth a shot."

"Thank you Jigglypuff you are very kind."

She stopped in her tracks, "hey, do you think maybe…" her tone of voice and how hurried her speech had become told me that was she was nervous.

"Go on?"

She spat it out all at once, "do you think that we could be roommates? I mean I live alone and wouldn't mind someone to hangout with."

It was then that I stopped in my tracks, I considered the options. The sad truth was I didn't have to. Anything was better then Wario at this point. This was exactly the opportunity I had been waiting for.

"We'll have to ask the Master Hand and more then likely he will want to know the reason. We'll need witnesses to back up what we tell him." I turned to Sonic who was already giving me a look of less then enthusiasm.

He crossed his arms at us, "why me? Why not Lucas or…Peach." The way he said her name made me uncomfortable, this tongue lingered on it too long to be simply coincidence.

"Because you saw everything, didn't you?" Jigglypuff ask with a hint of distain. Not towards Sonic but what he had had to witness.

"What do you mean?" He obviously had no filter from his brain to his mouth, because if he had thought even briefly about it he would know.

"You saw him…touching himself?" Jigglypuff asked.

Sonic looked at both of us, "so I have to play matchmaker is what you're trying to tell me."

Jigglypuff was giving off a very bothered vibe; her temperature had risen a couple of palpable degrees. It wasn't hard to notice being this close to her, if that's what you call it.

Something in the hedgehog's eyes told me that he wasn't just reluctant but envious as well.

It was then a thought struck me, "Sonic?"

"Hmm?"

"Why were you by the poolside? How did you see Wario?"

"Uh!" I could see him swallowing hard. When his face got red is when I began to get suspicious.

"Yeah, Sonic. We didn't see you by the poolside you must have been hiding somewhere." Jigglypuff was merciless.

"Close enough to see Wario, but not close enough to be seen," I finished her thought giving Sonic a once over.

He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, keeping his eyes downcast to ensure a lack of eye contact.

"Where _you _spying on the Princess?" Jigglypuff took a threatening step towards Sonic.

"Drop it guys or I won't help you," if his aggression didn't give away his guilt, his eyes certainly did.

Jigglypuff and I had nothing to say to the second confirmed peeping tom in the house.

"Whatever. Meet me at the house," with that he was gone, flying passed us with such magnificent stealth that the only clue as to where he had gone was in the grass blades at our feet, all of them bent westward forcibly from the pull of his speed.

"Runs fast when he's scared huh?" Jigglypuff smiled a knowing smile as we made our way back to the mansion.

When Jigglypuff and I were finally arrived at the mansion the Master Hand was already waiting for us, Sonic was next to him.

"Master Hand I assume Sonic has told you everything."

"Yes, for the most part Maurice has explained everything."

"Ah, Jesus."

"Maurice?" Jigglypuff was being less then tactful. *snort*

I stopped that conversation topic before it got too out of hand. I asked for his verdict.

"Well, it is absolutely against regulations. I apologize but there is nothing I can do."

All looked bleak for the next year.

It was then that another 'Master Hand' entered the room but this one was much more unsettled, wriggling his fingers in a twitchier manner, "come on brother it will be fun. I want to see how it all pans out. Or see if it even will."

The Master Hand was silent. He finally gave a quiet introduction, "this is my brother Crazy Hand. Crazy Hand this is Meta Knight."

"Pleasure."

"Jigglypuff."

"Nice to met you!"

"and Mau…"

"Sonic!! The name's Sonic."

"It is very nice to meet all of you. Now I'm assuming you two want to be roommates, yes?"

"That's correct," I said.

"And what lovely roommates you two would make. Please brother you must be heartless to even consider denying this potentially beautiful couple a chance to be together."

The Master Hand said nothing.

"Let's add a little spice to the life of this house, what do you say?"

"Whatever you think is best I suppose, brother."

The animosity was painful to behold.

"What then to do with Wario?" Crazy Hand floated over to Sonic.

"Hell no," if looks could kill Crazy Hand would be no more.

"Just joking, don't worry you little charmer," Crazy Hand began to rub Sonics head vigorously with one of his knuckles, a 'knookie' I believe.

"Back off!" Sonic ducked his head swiping at the Crazy Hand with a fist.

"I suppose it would be best to leave that pervert by himself, for now that is. Until I get creative and think of somewhere interesting to put him. How does that sound?"

"Amazing! Thank you so much!" Jigglypuff ran up and tackle hugged Crazy hand.

"When can I move into her room?"

"How about the night after the first fight?"

"But that's a long time form now isn't it? He can't be with that freak that long!!" Jigglypuff said.

"The first fights tomorrow. We just kind of forgot to put up the competitors names. Oh, that reminds me, Maurice you're up tomorrow," Master hand said.

"What? No way!" The look on his face was timeless.

"Ooh, tough luck that," Crazy Hand said.

"I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow, huh?"

"I would say that is a pretty reasonable assumption," I smiled under my mask at Jigglypuff.

"Your eyes turned pink! That's awesome!"

The next day was a god send, well most aspects of it. Sonic was utterly defeated in less then thirty seconds. We weren't allowed to actually attend the fight so we watched it live on the LCD screen in one of the mansions massive living rooms. It was to put it lightly, hilarious. To see hedgehog defeated by someone that was truly more skilled then he was a joy to behold.

"Oh, no!" Princess Peach was the only one remotely concerned for Sonic's welfare, "do you think he's okay?"

"He's just been knocked unconscious," Fox pointed out to the Princess, "do you really think you'd be all that okay?"

"OH!" The Princess took off out the front door before any of us could stop her, had any of us had actually tried.

Later when Pit got back, looking a might shade too pale, we held a congratulatory party.

"Ten points to Pit that means ten shots buddy, so drink up!" Falco and Fox seemed to be living breathing party favors. Making sure that everyone at the party had more then their fair share of alcohol.

"Is everybody in this club getting tipsy?" There was a huge 'whoo' from the crowd mixed in with a few 'boos' clearly from the small group of underage children that had gathered to hopefully sneak a few drinks.

It was then Jigglypuff sat next to me.

"Meta Knight," she was drunk. It was obnoxious how apparent.

"You're drunk."

"Noooo…*hiccup*"

"You're underage."

"*hiccup* noooo…"

"Who gave you a drink?"

She looked up at the ceiling concentrating on the ornate engravings of farmers harvesting grapes and then fermenting them in barrels, a perfect picture for a bar. She honestly seemed to be giving it her best shot, "noooo….," was all she came up with.

"That's no answer for what I'm asking you!" I picked her drooping head up cupping it with both my palms for support, "point them out Jigglypuff who gave you those drinks?"

Instead of answering she pressed her hands more deeply into my hands, "do you like me Meta Knight?"

"What? In what way do you mean?"

"I mean do you think I'm pretty?" She was belligerent, "I k-know *hiccup* I mean I know I'm n-no *hiccup* Peach or anything, b-b-but aren't I pretty a lil' bit?"

"Let's take you back to the room before you embarrass yourself."

"So that's what you think? I embarrass you? *hiccup*"

"NO! I mean you are drunk and you're going to do or say something that you may regret so let's get you to bed how does that sound?"

"Hey buddy," she prodded me in the chest with a finger. "You c-can't just decide that *hiccup* I'm drunk, you can't j-jusssssst deccccide…," abruptly and seemingly without any warning Jigglypuff passed out into my hands.

"Umm…," I was utterly confused as to what I should do next. "Someone…?" Everyone else was partying having a grand time.

-Uhhg…, I did the only thing I could think of. I picked her delicate body up and proceeded to carry her to our room.

Something seemed suspicious about the whole situation. Who would want to get Jigglypuff drunk? What would be their motivation none of the other underage people in the bar had been given drinks. As strange as all this was there was no reason to pursue my suspicions.

We made it back to jigglypuff's room with very little difficulty and thankfully no vomiting.

"Jigglypuff do you have the password?"

"It's three six eight nine!" She yelled in her sleep before dropping into another bought of drunken coma.

I punched in the password and used my foot to nudge open the door.

It was then that the catch, the punch line became all too clear. She had only one bed. She was supposed to request a second but before she could someone was able to get her drunk.

That person, oh and I would find them, would no pain not of this world and fear without rival. I hope that person was having fun tonight, for this would be their last night of levity.

I put Jigglypuff on the bed and as quietly as I could set myself up a place on the floor. When I had settled in for the night and was more then comfortable I heard a small voice above me.

"Meta Knight?"

I was almost afraid to engage her, what could she possibly say inebriated that could be anything but a waste of my time.

"Meta Knight I know you're awake…"

"Damn it. Yes, Jigglypuff?"

"Do you ever think about w-what's going on at h-home?" Her hiccups had subsided but she still had a bit of a persistent and lingering slur.

I was suddenly awake, aware of what I had completely oblivious of until this moment, "it's odd, but no I haven't."

"I'm just thinking about the people we left b-behind. I m-mean will they be o-okay?"

I thought about her remark, "safe from evildoers? That's what you mean isn't it."

"Y-yeah. I mean all the heroes of the world are here…whose to p-prevent the b-bad guys from doing whatever they want to their homelands?"

I gave the question some carefully consideration, fear was pulsing through my veins. How come I hadn't caught this? It was so obvious thinking about it now, this tournament all just being a conspiracy, a huge setup to destroy our homelands while we fought for our dreams in this pretend competition. Where the prizes even real, the points? Was it all making believe? Or was Jigglypuff simply letting her imagination run rampant?

I made the decision not to fan the flames, "you have nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. Who is Mario's main nemesis?"

"Bowser…," she was barely able to finish her sentence, yawning massively before finishing. "Everyone knows that."

"And where is Bowser?"

"Here."

"Yes, Jigglypuff. I think that the Mushroom Kingdom is safe then don't you?"

"Mmm-hmm…," she drifted off to sleep. I could hear a steadily building snore as she drifted into a drug induced sleep, deep and dreamless no doubt.

If she was convinced then I had done my job to at least keep her quiet and calm. I wouldn't mention this idea to anyone else for fear that it would instigate a sizable uproar that would be nearly impossible to control. Causing such chaos would be the very least of my wishes.

I made it my duty to find out more about this possible threat before I made it known to the general public.

16


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Zelda and Sheik

I had been growing bored. It was agonizing. Was this place to be no different then my throne in Hyrule? Routine like this is exactly why I had left. Last years competition had been such a blessing that I absolutely had to attend again this year. The chance to completely let go was not something offered to a Princess on a regular basis. We were to be prim, proper, say all the right things, be clean, have impeccable manners, and of course to never ever fight. This place all the rules were flipped. None of them mattered, the lives you left for that glorious year. I remember being so jealous of Link and his ability to come and go from the kingdom as he pleased while I was sat baby sitting. Everyone dependent upon me for advice, for leadership, I have the triforce of wisdom so I should always know what to do. That is what they assumed, my people.

And they were right. I did always know what to do. I knew every conceivable twist, every angle that could be worked to save the world a hundred times over. Everything was shown to me simultaneously, the past, present and future, laid out for me in sequential order. That's the power of the triforce of wisdom that most do not understand. It does not in actuality make me smarter. It shows me what is to come, what I should learn from the past, and all living beings are, to an extent, aware of the present.

The frustrating part of my triforce is that it doesn't show me the answers. It can only give me outcomes, it is then up to me and my own inner strength and judgment to decide what is to be done. Not to say that the triforce isn't helpful, by all means I would be lost without it.

But I was lost with it, trapped by it really.

Until Gannondorf showed up and changed all of that for me.

He came along with his power and depth and uncertainty. He with his triforce enhanced the power of my own while all the time limiting and diluting it. Naruu would try to tell me something, show me a vision, but before it could come clearly into my minds eye I would just see him, blocking my ability to think clearly. Only when I and Link were able to seal him away was I finally able to continue on in peace and the comforted of the benign.

That does not mean, however that I stopped seeing him. I couldn't satisfy my curiosity for him and begged the Great Goddess to show me something more then vague glimpses of the man. He had after all been kind to me as my captor. Telling me stories of his past, promising me that I would still be Princess of Hyrule. He hadn't wanted to destroy it, he too was simply bored, driven nearly to the brink of insanity by the confines of this world. For it is not kind to those with such extraordinary gifts.

I am fairly confident that if I had not been born Princess of Hyrule, I would have been exiled by my own people. That is another story entirely, however.

The Goddess told me that if I wanted so badly to see the feared Gannondorf that I may. She warned me that there would be rules for opening the door between this world and his. These rules had consequences for breaking them. Some so deep and scarring that I would never recover if I were to disobey them.

She told me first I couldn't reach out to touch the Dark King for I would welcome him into the realm of Hyrule by way of doing so.

The second rule was that I must not say Gannon's name, for that would bring about a far greater punishment.

I accepted these and in return she brought me my Gannondorf. He was something in-between a specter and a person standing there before me that night, not looking at all like himself.

"Princess," he said and his voice was like embers. "Have you come to mock me?"

I could tell sarcasm on any tongue, "you are too stubborn and proud. You would just call me childish, I know you too well."

"How lucky am I to have such a lovely woman know me on such an intimate level?" He was smiling at me with his head tilted, displaying sharp canines.

I tried to remain composed.

"Why on earth did you call me to you?"

"I just wanted to talk really."

"Have you had a vision? Do you need help analyzing it, Princess?"

"You may call me Zelda. I brought you here because I want to know what it is like… in the Sacred Realm."

He laughed a weak laugh, his body seemed to want to shake to pieces with the effort, "no you don't Princess," he hissed the last word. I was wounded.

"What do you mean, that is why I brought you here!"

"I don't doubt that."

"Then what don't I want?"

He looked up from under his lashes, fiery red like his hair. His eyes, how gold they were I had forgotten how beautifully exotic and tragic they were. The color seemed to fade from them as he said, "you don't want to know what it's like."

"…I'm sorry. This is not what I wanted."

He had nothing left in him to force a smile, "as tortured, as trapped as you feel here, it is all only that, a feeling. That reality is a distant threat a minor cloud formation briefly covering that brilliant sunlight you take for granted. You have never known darkness like I! You sit here Princess, on your throne as ruler of this beautiful realm and you think yourself so miserable, so sacrificed and self-righteous that you fancy yourself a martyr. You cannot fathom true suffering and if this world is driving you insane with hopelessness then you would not last half as long as I have in the Sacred Realm, Princess."

Before I could stop myself, "I had said it, Gannondorf I'm so sorry."

He smiled at me with that grimace, reaching out his hand and touching me with flesh and blood, I had brought him back.

He stroked my face so familiar, "thank you Zelda."

It was then the Goddess descended, in all her glorious fury tearing open the heavens and burning the ground she landed on. Her presence so close made the air thin and breathing difficult. Her hair fell in coils on the ground and then splintered from her anger forming the beasts that plagued the land thereafter. In her hand was a great sword like a needle so thin and yet strong enough to plunge deep into my heart. This was not my Goddess.

It was his.

I felt the soft hands of darkness taking my mind as I saw her banish Gannondorf back to the Sacred Realm. He was not looking at the goddess but at me, with such regret that it dug hard lines into his face. When Din was through with him she came to me, she spoke in a voice that made what was left of my mind split into pieces.

I should die she had said for breaking such a rule. But, she was merciful, "your people need you."

Instead, the Goddess she made me a compromise. She said that my soul and heart would forever be split and that I would never be restful. She said that were one soul wanted to go the other would resist, whatever one soul wished for the other would pray against, and lastly if one soul loved something the other would hold nothing but contempt in it's heart. She withdrew the sword from my chest driving it through my skull, dividing the hemisphere of my brain before flying back to the heavens.

This happened all a week before the first competition. When I saw Gannondorf again, it was true. I had been split. I was happy to see him, but whenever I got close Sheik, my alter, he would force us apart.

I did not want to be hurt anymore, but I in turn didn't want him to hurt. He seemed so dismayed last competition at how I would almost religiously push him away while crying for his attention. I would have to tell him this time around, tell him that we could never be together thanks to this curse.

How funny that trying to be near him to begin with is what would pull us permanently apart.

So, for the past month I had been trying to tell him, but of course my wishes were contrary to what Sheik wanted. He wanted his morbid game to continue for as long as possible. This cat and mouse affair. Or at least he really did not want me to speak to Gannondorf. Finally I decided that it would just be easiest to avoid everyone and everything. To keep to myself had been the preferable method of living and staying sane for nearly two weeks.

But I had been growing bored of this.

Until Halloween that is.

The Master Hand had come to us that morning with some announcements.

"Tonight as you all very well know is all Hallows Eve. It is my wish that tonight there be a grand party held in the ballroom. This will be a mandatory affair, I feel it should be this way. You all really should socialize more often and this will help you all to get to know each other!"

Everyone was there to hear this. Even Sonic was up from his hospital bed, the only evidence that he had been in a fight the other day a bandage around his left eye. Some of the guests were already expressing their disapproval of the idea.

"Man I dunno, I'm kinda hung over form Pit's wild party yesterday," Fox was rubbing his forehead and temples, wincing whenever anyone spoke too sharply.

"Yeah, and I just plain don't want to go," Ness said this.

"That is all very unfortunate but you must go! It will be so fun you guys just wait!! I have another surprise for all of you. Women please draw a piece of paper form this hat and men from this one."

All the men jumped up at once tying to get the first chance to see what the surprise was. They were all very high strung, curious people these men here. Except Gannondorf, he waited back for everyone else to disperse for the initial chaos to settle. Only then did he rise and make his way towards the hand.

"What the does Rumplestiltskin mean?" Mario said this.

"The big bad wolf," Ike was the first to realize. "It's fairy tales, isn't it?"

The Master Hand said nothing. Although the answer was clear he seemed to be trying to drag out whatever suspense was left for as long as he could.

"The Beast?" Pit was deeply confused.

"Hahaha I'm Blue Beard all be envious!" Everyone turned in disgust. It was sad to admit but Wario would make an excellent Blue Beard.

"Puss in Boots?" Sonic looked up at the Master Hand, "say it ain't so?" Sonic was the second to last in line.

Gannondorf took the last slip of paper between his fingers reading it under his breath.

No one but I who was paying great attention to him heard what he whispered,

"Prince Charming. Cute." He uttered this last bit much louder as he shoved the piece of forsaken paper into a garbage bin.

"Ladies?" The Master Hand picked up the hat very gentlemanly and brought it to each of us.

Peach was first. She messed the paper in the hat for a bit humming to herself while she made a selection.

"Little Red Riding Hood!" She said jubilantly.

The master hand brought me the hat. I only briefly fingered the papers before withdrawing my hand with a selection.

"Cinderella?" I had to consciously forbid my eyes from wandering to his.

"Snow White?" Jigglypuff was livid.

"The Frog Princess? To match my brother the Frog Prince," Nana laughed.

"Sleeping Beauty, you are kidding aren't you?" Samus mocked.

"No, dear Samus quite serious. Now remember this party is mandatory and so are your costumes."

"Shit!" Was the overall consensus of the group.

"But how are we gonna have the costumes done by tonight?" Samus was still staring at her slip of paper in disgust.

It was then Luigi a normally shy and quiet man spoke loudly to the group, "Please let me make the costumes!!"

"Huh?" Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"I uh, use to be a club kid in the eighties and you've seen those ridiculous get-ups. I'm a master costume maker. Please, I would be delighted to make the costumes for everyone. It would bring back such good memories," Luigi ended the sentence a look of nostalgia playing on his face.

"You were a club kid in the eighties?" Fox asked dumfounded.

"What did you think I was doing all that time? I mean I wasn't in any games, I needed something to do."

No one dared ask further into Luigi's bizarre past.

"Well, everyone give me your measurements and I'll get right on it."

We lined up then for the second time to allow Luigi to take down our sizes.

"Well, I'm off to make beautiful costumes."

And they were beautiful. That night everyone looked marvelous. How Luigi was able to finish 35 costumes in nearly eight hours was anyone's guess but we were all grateful. My dress was a sky blue that shimmered when ever light hit it I wore glass slippers as was expected and my hair up in a bun a few strains falling from it in ripples. Luigi had plastered my face with make-up, blues and purples mainly and had been able to make even my eyes look bluer then they actually were. Peach's outfit was quite scandalous, Luigi openly expressed that it was his favorite creation of the night. She was wrapped tightly in a red dress that had slits up both side, high enough to see her garter belt and petticoat. She had large lipstick red platform shoes on, Luigi had confessed that they had once been his and that he had worn them on several occasions though we all tried to ignore these remarks. She of course was wearing the infamous hood and had a basket full of fruit shots made with large chunks of peaches and watermelons. Kirby who was Robin Hood, running around with a bow and arrow and Link's hat, trailed Peach around all night begging and cooing for the watermelon.

"No Kirby," she would try to reason in vain. "These watermelons aren't for kids!"

"Puoy!" Kirby would reach his hands up in protest.

"NO! Kirby! Kirby come back here!" Kirby had sucked in the basket into his mouth and had taken off at a full sprint. Peach tried running after him but was unable to catch up in those shoes.

I giggled at the sight of it all. By this point I had had a few drinks not so many to even give me a head change, but enough to make everything a little funnier.

I looked around at the others. Fox and Falco made superb Tweedledee and Tweedledumb and Jigglypuff was an adorable Snow White. Luigi had specially made a black wig to fit her and put her in small white high heels. Everything had been thought out wonderfully to match every person's body type and height; he really had done a spectacular job.

The men I saw who had excellent costumes were Sonic as Puss in Boots. Luigi had been able to fit him with leather boots to is knees and a feathered hat. Somehow he had even found a sword lying around. Ike was a perfect Big Bad Wolf and although he and Peach were supposed to be a pair, Sonic was making getting close to Peach very difficult for all but himself.

I was jealous of Peach really, to have somewhere want to be her one and only that badly. It depressed me so that I would, could never have what she did.

Then of course there was Gannondorf dressed as Prince Charming. He didn't look too different, not in my opinion at least. He had always been my Prince Charming. He was sitting by himself in all his doom and mystery, drinking by the bar. _Now was the time_, I thought. If I was to ever get close to him it was right now.

"Bartender, may I have another?" I held out my empty glass. I didn't know why I was so cordial to the bartender he was a robot after all. My scruples were purely instinctual now.

"P-puoy *hiccup*," Kirby sat next to me, tittering precariously on his stool.

He had swallowed the watermelon shots.

"Are you okay Kirby?"

He shook his head, "puoy…," he laid his head down on the bar.

_Darn_, I thought. _I can't just leave Kirby here_.

Suddenly Kirby got up form the stool, walking in a manner native to a redead back to his room.

"You're going to bed Kirby?"

He nodded his head.

"Sleep well Kirby."

"P-p *hiccup*…meh…"

Before I was able to make a move, Gannondorf had sat down next to me, "he going to be okay?"

I felt Sheik in me, trying to claw my way up throat and dominate the situation.

_Don't talk to him. remember what he did to you, please don't let him fool you_. _He just wants the kingdom, his compassion is a façade. _

I tried not to listen, but he was persistent. I stood up to leave.

_Good, leave that evil man there, break his heart like he broke yours. _

Gannondorf grabbed my sleeve, come on this is starting to piss me off. "I mean what happened to make you hate me so?"

I couldn't hold him; Sheik was burning out of my every pore. I wrestled with him, my mind two tornados dancing.

_Please Sheik let me handle this!_

_No! You can't! The reason we are in this mess is because of your weakness and his tricks. I have to do this for you!!_

_I beg you sheik, _it was too late he was much too strong.

I could see what he was doing, hear what he was thinking, but I had no control over the hurtful things he was going to say.

"You need to leave us alone Gannondorf. We don't want you anywhere near us, do you understand?"

Gannondorf looked into our eyes, Sheiks eyes and laughed, "it's been a long time. Is it you that is so against the Princess being happy?"

"I know what's best for her and always keep her health and safety at the forefront to my mind something that you never do nor never will."

_Sheik please!_

_Shut up Zelda, this is what you've been wanting all along isn't? The strength to say goodbye, well I'm giving it to you. _

_Not like this Sheik. Just not like this…_

"Let me talk to Zelda," Gannondorf said grabbing onto Sheiks arm. "Let me see what she thinks of you butting in all the time."

"You're sick. You prey on weak and lonely girls like Zelda. I know what happened in your castle. She doesn't remember but I do! You don't care about her you just want something to control."

_Please Sheik!! Stop!_

_Zelda, he can only destroy. He will never love you like I love you. _

"You have no idea what you're talking about, boy. Though you may remember you weren't there. You speak so assured of what you know, though you know nothing. Bring the Princess back!!"

_Sheik what don't I remember?_

_It's too horrible Zelda I can't tell you. _

"Bring the Princess back, or I will go in there and get her myself."

_Sheik I'm coming back and there's nothing you can do to stop me._

_Let him try to get you, I'd like to see that!!_

_NO!! Sheik, _I could feel another presence in my mind as Gannondorf tried to push Sheik deep into my unconscious.

_HHAHAHAHAHA, he can't get rid of me Zelda, I will always be here. He's wasting so much energy. That idiot!!_

Sheik stopped laughing, "Sheik?" I was back in control, "Gannon what did you do to him?"

"I just quieted him, for awhile too. At least that's what I was aiming for."

"What did you do? What did you do to Sheik?"

"I told you…"

"But how? How did you do it?"

"He's just sleeping really."

"What was he talking about? What can't I remember?"

"I'm not going to tell you that! Not now you're way too upset for anything good to come of you knowing."

"Gannondorf I have the right…," it was then a loud voice over an intercom, interrupting our argument.

"Welcome brawlers to the first annual Halloween House party!" It was the Master Hands voice. "I do hope that so far you are enjoying yourselves," there was cheering form the crowd.

"I'M DRUNK!!" Someone yelled out.

"So I see," the Master Hand continued, "since the party is well on its' way I believe this would be the perfect time to play some games, how does that sound?"

Everyone in the crowd started cheering again.

"Good! Good! I am very glad to see everyone in such high spirits! This first game is called Trick or Treat and in order to play I will need three volunteers!"

"Pit should go!!"

"Yeah! Pit get up there!!"

Pit looked around a smiling a shy smile, "uh…okay sure? What do I have to do?"

"Just stand center stage. Now who wants to be the next two?"

"I do!!" Jigglypuff was running towards center stage before anyone could stop her.

"Alright then who wants to be the last person?"

"What the hell do we get if we win?" Sonic boldly asked.

"Come and find out."

Sonic was on stage, so quickly no one saw him move.

"Let's get this started!"

"Alright Brawlers! Do you see the balloons above you?" We all turned towards the ceiling, collectively noticing the hundreds above us.

"That's a lot of helium!"

"Inside each balloon is either a trick or a treat. It's up to you three to find as many treats as possible before the time runs out. You have thirty seconds on the clock. Ready and GO!"

Pit was in air first easily flying his way into the mass of balloons. Sonic and Jigglypuff had to be a little more creative. Sonic was able to bounce himself off a couple walls to become airborne and then ran himself over the balloons popping ones that looked promising. Jigglypuff asked for help from the audience and was able to ride up on Meta Knights back.

After this I lost interest turning back to Gannondorf, "tell me!" I hissed.

"Another time, when you are not so drunk! When you are not so disturbed!"

"I'm not drunk!" I went to slap him but missed miserably nearly falling to my knees with the effort.

He caught me.

"Not drunk, huh?"

I was suddenly aware of just how much I had had, at least half a bottles worth before I had mustered up the courage to even approach him. Then that extra shot just before he sat next to me. I was hopelessly intoxicated. My mind working fine enough but having no control of my body could only sit by and watch it behave in such a terrible manner, stumbling around like a jellyfish.

Gannondorf finally grabbed hold of me and steadied my body against his. I clutched him like the cornerstone of my foundation.

"How about we just sit down and watch the competition? How does that sound?"

I just melted against him, whatever he wanted to do was absolutely fine with me. Not much had changed from so long ago I was still unable to fight him, drunk or not. Nothing had changed.

"Alright Brawlers time is up!! Please return to the stage with the treats you found."

I looked up from Gannon's chest to see the stage of brawlers. People in the crowd were laughing.

They all looked to be covered in different forms of goo and slime.

Pit's costume was matted down with what appeared to be slowly solidifying glue but smelled like pickles and Sonic had lost a boot somewhere in the mess and was dyed a satin pink color.

Jigglypuff seemed unscathed, other then her hair which was plastered backward as if it had gone threw a wind tunnel.

"I will need three more volunteers to come up and count the treats each person has."

Ike ran, rather was pushed up on stage, "he can count for Pit!!"

Pit blushed looking down at someone who I couldn't see, giving them a small smile of appreciation.

"Snake wants to count for Sonic!!"

"No I don't!!"

"Yes, you do come on!!!"

"No I really don't fuck!!" Snake was also forced on stage.

"This'll be funny!" Fox yelled.

Without a word of coaxing or even having to be shoved to the stage, Meta Knight stepped forward to count for Jigglypuff.

The ecstatic look in jigglypuff's eyes I could see, from across the ballroom.

"Alright feel free to start counting now!"

After a few minutes, "twelve!" Ike yelled on Pit's behave.

"Come on old man how many do I have?!" Sonic was yelling at Snake. Causing him to rush then loose count, he started the tedious process over again.

"You lost count? Come on how hard can it be?"

"Fucking hedgehog!! Fifteen! Happy you have fifteen! Goddamn!"

"Yeah, Goddamn is right! How long does it take to count to fifteen?"

"You little…!! Fucking hedgehog!" A couple of people had to jump on stage, diving between Snake and Sonic saving the latter.

"Thirteen," Meta Knight waved jigglypuff's treats in the air as testament to what he had just spoken.

"Beautiful! It seems we have a winner! Everyone give it up for Sonic who has just won himself a prize, a dinner for two at the Ambience restaurant in the nearby city of Mountain View."

"WHOO HOO!! Can I take whoever I want?"

"Yes, of course. Shall I call anyone from your home?"

"Nope that's not needed. I wanna take Peach!!"

No one looked at Peach but firstly to Mario, waiting for him to explode. He didn't.

"It's not up to me," he shrugged his shoulders. "Peach is a free woman with no obligations."

Sonic's smile was purely malicious, the crowd turned to Peach who was dumfounded. The tension was static electricity in the air.

"I-I sure why not?" She smiled at the crowd who was gasping for air having held their breathe too long.

"Really?? YESSSSSSSSS!!!"

Jigglypuff and Pit looked positively dismal.

Gannondorf whispered in my ear, "I wish I had entered. Then I could have had you all to myself for at least a night."

There was a huge explosion. Everyone hit the floor as a quake rocked the ground and rumbled the windows out of their frames.

Gannondorf had thrown himself on me, there was glass all over him but there was not a mark on either of us. He picked me up, "are you alright Princess."

I was sober, the alcohol shocked out of me, "I believe so?" I stood up to see what exactly had happened. One half of the ballroom was in complete chaos. Glass form the windows covered the group like a light falling of snow. The greatest spectacle was seeing who had attempted to save who.

Ike was holding Pit's body to his, creating for him a shelter from which Pit seemed reluctant to move. Meta Knight had encased Jigglypuff in his wings, his sword was in his hand at she ready. Ness had gone for Nana and Lucas for Popo. Sonic had made it to Princess Peach in astounding time, holding her much the same way Ike had Pit.

Samus had the shaken Pikachu in her arms and was trying to talk him down.

"It's okay Pikachu, shhh. Honey you're fine!!"

"Chu!"! Pikachu buried its' head deep into Samuses chest, shivering wildly.

And Gannon had me. We were all the perfect picture of the romance that was blooming.

"What the hell was that?" Snake who had jumped under his cardboard box asked.

The master hand was above us, "I will check the damage, but from the sounds of it, it came from the girl's wing. Do hold on for a minute."

"Gladly," Sonic tightened his grip on the Princess.

"I'm fine Sonic really!"

The Master Hand was back before the pair could finish arguing.

He had awful news for the lot of us.

"It seems that Kirby mistook the furnace for something edible."

"Oh my God is he okay?"

"He is just fine, a bit singed but nothing that won't or can't be fixed. It seems that he swallowed the furnace, and then the furnace being a hardy meal fell asleep, leaving the gas from it to leak into and fill the entire basement which as you ladies know is located directly under your rooms."

"Oh dear," Peach muttered.

"When Kirby finally woke, he dragged himself up the stairs and being so very economically friendly he shut off the light which was enough to spark a fuse and blow the whole girls wing to bits and pieces."

"Holy crap!"

"My thoughts exactly Nana."

"What happened to all our stuff?" Samus was livid.

"Due to the industrial strength steel that all your belongings seem to be made of nothing of yours was damaged."

Samus breathed a sigh of relief.

"For the rest of you, I'm afraid everything was destroyed."

Peach and I looked at each other then at our own outfits, was this all we had left?

"You don't mean to say that we have to wear this? What about the rest of the year."

"I will reimburse you all however much need be so that you may buy a new wardrobe for the year ahead. Peach I assume on your outing with Sonic that you can stop by some stores to buy some clothing and personals."

"Sonic would that be alright with you?"

"I would be an idiot to say no."

"What about me?"

"Zelda you may at anytime in the next couple of days before the second fight to buy yourself whatever you need."

"Thank you."

"Same for you Nana. You may also bring escorts or you may go together I don't mind either way. Now as to the new rooming situation…"

"Oh God thank you…," someone whispered with sincere pleasure.

"While we rebuild the Woman's wing we will have to make new, temporary living situation. You girls can decide with whom you will want to room."

"My brother and Ness," Nana said. She was smiling with happiness at the thought. It was clear to all that she had a little innocent crush on Ness.

"Peach you can room with me," it was clear to all that Sonic didn't have a little innocent crush on Peach.

"Um, I think I'd like to room with Mario and Luigi, actually."

Sonic looked at her as if someone had just dug twelve inch needles through his heart.

"If that's what you really want," Mario was less then excited.

"Jigglypuff and Meta Knight both are looking for a room would someone be so kind as to let them both stay with them."

"They can stay with me and Ike," Pit smiled at Jigglypuff. "I think it'd be fun!"

"You're so sweet Pit!" Jigglypuff gave the angel a running hug, "thank you!!"

"Samus you may room with Pikachu and Yoshi if you wish."

"Yeah, that would be awesome."

"Zelda were would you like to stay?"

I looked around at my options. Marth and Link seemed plausible. Never Wario, Ness and Popo already had their new addition; Sonic looked too wounded to allow another girl so quickly into his life. Ike and Pit had their hands full; as did Mario and Luigi, Fox and Falco where always pulling pranks on people I didn't want to be their primary target. Kirby and King Dedede, what do I have in common with them. Red and Snake both were a little too hot to trot form my taste. And then there was Gannondorf and his roommate Bowser, two villains in desperate need of a Princess.

"I'll stay with Gannondorf and Bowser."

Whatever part of Sheik that was still awake roused violently in me. I heard screeching so terrible and animalistic, that it couldn't be coming from him. It was something else, something much more malignant and growing like cancer. Starting from the pit of my stomach and working its way up through my veins, into my lungs and crawling into my heart circulating there waiting for its' opportunity to tear it open and from my corpse, escape.

16


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Sonic

"How does this one look Sonic?"

"Jesus Christ," every article she draped over herself I just imagined tearing off with my teeth. "Yeah, you look breathtaking…a-always…"

"Thanks you're sweet. I think I'll take this one too," she waved at the cashier. "Can you add this to the bill as well?"

"Of course."

"When do you wanna go for food?"

"Whenever. Why are you hungry?" She was zipping off the dress she was laced in, but got caught half way, "oh, shoot! Sonic can you give me a hand?"

I could give her several, "s-sure."

My hands were shaking as I pulled the zipper. My fingers were unintentionally dragging against her spinal curvature that rounded to form her ass. I was so close that if I happened to slip…

"Shit," I shook my fingers as if they had been subject to a shock. "There you're good."

"Thanks," she stepped behind the curtain that was the dressing room. "No peeking!"

"Yeah, yeah…," I sat in silent aggravation.

I still couldn't believe that she picked Mario and Luigi over me? Who the hell would do that? I could name ten girls back home who would kill to be my roommate. But not Peach. She took my invitation and scoffed at it, in front of everyone none-the-less. Goddamn it!! The only good thing about this whole situation is that their room is right above mine. Oh, yes God did exist and he was merciful.

I would run to my room every night at nine, when by clockwork, she would step herself into the shower directly above my bed, humming as she turned the water on. The creaking of the pipes would follow as they struggled to pull water up and onto her precious skin. I would close my eyes and image that there was no ceiling fan above me, but a hole to let water trickle through. To soak and drench me, slowly, torturously in the sweet aroma that was so purely her.

Why did she have to play so hard to get?

It made me just want her more. Way more.

I tried not to focus on that so much. Instead I looked out the window at the perfect day. It was still cold outside, surprising for being so far south, which is why I had made the smart decision to wear a scarf, boots, a very red late 70's disco leather jacket, and thicker then normal gloves, but despite all this the sun was shining for the first time in what seemed like a year and the air was fresh and crisp from new rain.

There were a lot of people on the streets.

It made me kinda nervous, would these people recognize us here as heroes? As idols and icons? Was I going to be rushed by screaming fan girls? Was peach going to be interviewed on her political views, about her new stimulus plan for the Mushroom Kingdom? I sure hoped not.

Today I wanted to be left alone, just me and her.

She came out seconds later, a fast changer for a girl, "let's get out of here, what do you say?"

She was wearing a long pink P-coat, white stockings, and knee high leather white boots. Peach seemed very warm as she looked over at me.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry anything?"

"NO!!" Pride was dripping out of my every pore. The pile she had accumulated was nearly a foot over my head, "I'll run these back to the mansion and meet you at the Ambience okay?"

She smiled at me, Sonic you're fast but not.

_Hold that thought. _

I tightened my grasp on the goods and took off at full speed running to my room and dropping off the clothes back thirty minutes away at the mansion, making it in seconds. I was back at her feet just in time for her to finish.

"…that fast."

"You were saying?"

I could see her blush, "gee that was fast!"

"Mach II, sweets."

"My goodness that's cool!" She seemed skeptical.

I caught the vibe she was throwing out and reassured her.

"Don't worry Babe I like to take some things nice and slow. You picking up what I'm putting down?"

"Are you saying you dropped my clothes? That I have to go back and pick them up?"

I nearly fell on my face. She had to be kidding. I looked in her eyes and saw that she truly wasn't. Those deep blues plagued with delicate anger and disappointment. I laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Oh, Sonic that's a cruel joke!" She did as was so characteristic of her and gently pushed me.

She was the cruel one.

Once my eyes had stopped watering and composure was mine once more, I looked at the hand that had touched me.

"Peach can I hold your hand?" I looked up to her, to judge her primary reactions. I hated having to look up at her.

How was I ever going to see down her shirt?

"I mean is Mario gonna come out of some bushes and kick my ass?"

"Oh, no not at all. He said it himself; I'm a free woman with no obligations. I can really do as I please."

"I heard a rumor that you guys were engaged. Is that true?" My heart was racing. My pupils dilated. Mouth dried and breathing fast and deliberate. My lungs were burning with the effort to keep the rest of me from passing out.

"Where did you hear that?"

Nowhere, I had never heard such a thing I just needed a way to bring up the conversation topic smoothly and without raising suspicion.

"Olimar," it was the first name that came to mind.

"Well, that's silly. I wonder where he heard that. But yes Sonic we are engaged Mario and I like each other very much."

I started crying! Can you believe that bullshit?

My lachrymal glands went into overdrive as I tried to hide my embarrassment, thankfully I had brought sunglasses! Great invention sunglasses, a must have for every emotional insomniac. I put them on.

"O-okay that's c-cool," I said with feigned excitement.

"Sonic are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine just fine…*sniff* wait how come you said earlier that you have no obligations? How can a girl who's engaged to be married not have any obligations?"

"Mario is…very…nice."

I thought about this for a second, "so I can hold your hand is what your saying?" I reached mine out, palm up, moving my sunglasses back to their place on top of my head so that she could see my eyes. I let the very emotions I felt fill them. I wanted her to see my fragile hope. The kind she would be absolutely heartless to shatter.

"Aren't you worried about Mario?"

"Please I'll kill that guy," it wasn't a threat but a promise. Though very much like a human I was still ultimately a hedgehog an animal, and the desire to be alpha male scorched through my veins like acid. It was a necessary thing to be able to take my pick of the female's anywhere that I may be. Actually it was a luxury that I was use to enjoying. No fat Italian plumber stereotype was going to take that away from me.

She smiled and twirled her parasol very nervously, "okay, you're harmless enough." She held her perfect hand out to me.

If it had been up to me, I would have kissed it right up the wrist until I reached the center of her arm, then to her white neck which I would have dug canines into.

But it wasn't it was up to my body which told me that wouldn't be very acceptable behavior, especially around a Princess.

So we just walked me asking as many things as I could get away with all the way to the restaurant.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Pink. Duh."

"Do you like being a Princess?"

"It's definitely challenging. Something new to conquer everyday I mean nothing comes easily. I suppose that's the part I like," she nodded her head.

"And the part you don't like?"

"Expecting…," she hesitated. "To be perfect…"

"What do you mean?"

"For a Princess everything is really mapped out for your life, who you are to marry, who you are to like, dislike, what to read, what to say, what not to say, how to feel about this and that, etc. the list of rules goes on and on."

"Wow that must be tough. Really glad I'm not a Princess. So who are 'they' telling you to love?" I was really pushing my limits.

"Mario of course."

"Of course. Well are you in love with him?" How much more would she humor me with?

She got very quiet, I became hopeful, just because they were engaged doesn't necessarily mean that they loved each other right? I also just as a precaution readied myself for news I wasn't going to like.

"As I said earlier, I like him very much."

"Hmm. Well what does that mean?"

Her eyes widened happy to see something, "hey Sonic is that the restaurant up ahead?"

"Where?" I looked up, "Jesus tap dancing…!"

A grand new age restaurant and bar with an entire patio and balcony area, not to mention a full supplied bar waited ahead of us. A balcony over looking Main Street is where we decided to sit.

The waiter was inhumanely happy.

"How may I help you two this evening? May I start you off with something to drink?"

"Sure, what is your wine selection?"

"We have something very special this afternoon, just came in this morning it's our only bottle. It's 1976 Château Montelena."

Peach was certainly impressed, I didn't know what the hell these names or numbers meant but it was more then likely expensive. That much I was sure of.

"Sure I would love that!" Peach was all amazing smile.

"Certainly madam. And you sir?"

"I'll just have what she's having."

"Alright, here are your menus; I'll be right back to take your orders."

I pretended to scan the entrées until he was gone from the table at which point I viciously whispered, "Peach don't you think that's a little expensive?"

"What's expensive the wine?" She was absently mindedly glancing at our dinner options as she spoke to me.

"Yeah, the wine! Doesn't it get pricier with age or something like that? I mean we are on a budget. You know that right?"

"Oh, don't worry silly I can cover the price of the wine."

Taxpayers' dollars at work.

The waiter had the wine in record time, "here you are." He popped the top off and then handed me the cork.

"What you want me do with it? You're the waiter, you throw it away."

"I-I," the waiter looked helplessly over at Peach.

"Here I'll take it," she totally violated the thing and then tossed it back at the waiter. "Thank you."

He then poured us two small servings, in two oversized cups. Handing both of us a glass.

He had stepped to leave when Peach stopped him.

"Leave the bottle," she put her hand on the waiters and smiled.

I could have breathed fire. The gesture was totally harmless, made only to stop the boy from taking off to soon, but my jealousy was not.

"Of course madam," he was out of our hair again, at least for a little while.

Peach took up the glass in front of her and began a strange ritual with the thing. Swirling its content, barely putting her nose to the mouth and sniffing, what the hell did it matter what it smelled like? It was bizarre.

When she finally came to the conclusion that it was not in fact poisonous she took the tiniest sip.

She sat there with the wine in her mouth for what seemed like forever making weird faces, when finally she swallowed.

Then it was time for more stoic concentration and analysis. When she didn't start bleeding out of her eyes she concluded with some conviction, tells me that it is the best wine she has ever had.

"Hey, really?" I took a huge swallow.

Give me Rum, Whiskey, for the love of God and all that is Holy, give me Vodka. But for the love of my body and its self preservation I would never again drink wine. The taste was malignant on my tongue, even if I had gone home and gargled with bleach the taste would always come back somehow and haunt my senses.

"BLEH!!" Was all I really had to say on the subject. "It's bitter! Why is it so bitter?" Okay I had a few more things to say before the muscles in the back of my mouth tightened up in furious protest locking my jaw.

"Aw, you don't like it?" Peach took another swallow from her own beaker of chemicals.

"No! That was the worst! You're telling me it's supposed to taste like that?" I felt a full body shiver coming on.

"Yeah, actually. And most wine isn't even this tasty."

I made a face that would hopefully reflect how I felt, my thoughts for the wine world and all who lived in it was nothing but pessimistic.

When the waiter came back to take our order, I asked,

"Can I just get a bloody Mary?"

"Of course Sir, and you Madam are you enjoying the wine?"

"Yes, very much so."

"Excellent! Now what may I help you?"

We made our orders and ate our meals peacefully, talking about whatever came to my mind. Peach delicately nibbled at her food taking nearly an hour to finish her salad, and by the time she had moved over to the next course I was finished with not only my dinner but three Bloody Marys'. The dinner was definitely worth the shower and staying up all night agonizing over what to wear and say, not that I would have slept anyway.

When she had cleaned her plate and successfully drained the last of the wine, I decided to bring up a suggestion,

"Hey, Peach you wanna get out of here?"

"Sure if you're ready."

The place began to buzz with life just as Peach and I readied to leave. Stuffed shirts with icky off-colored toupees, arms wrapped around the thin waist of some trophy date or maybe a wife if she was lucky enough to forever suck the liquidity out of their rich CEO husbands. All while sleeping around with the gardener, milkman, or the Jehovah's Witness that came knocking every Sunday. As the crowd grew bigger and denser the air became so thick with cigars and clove cigarettes, Chanel number five and old dusty fur coats that even my hypersensitive nose was so over stimulated that it could no longer smell the beautiful sublimity of strawberries. These men who got paid millions of dollars for casual office appearances drank away trivial problems with gallons of gin until their voices grew loud and their issues became no longer their own.

This is the kind of crowd this place catered to huh?

Disgusting.

I grabbed Peach about the waist to move her protectively through the crowd. The men at the tables where whispering a million miles per hour to each other something that I could not pick up, but they were laughing and I could feel their leers.

Sons of bitches. They were judging me? What right did they have, honestly?

I was almost drunk enough that the urge to murder them in front of their sluts had begun to completely overcome me when the angel soothed with her voice.

"Sonic why are you shaking?" She put her hand on my head, I could hear jubilant laughter. Three guesses as to where that was coming from. The red came into my vision.

"Sonic?"

I melted every time my name left her lips, I pushed the hurt down. Swallowed that pill called pride and said, "no reason. We really just need to get out of here."

"Um. Okay it's kind of rainy outside. Why don't you get under my parasol?" She wavered a bit as she opened it. Did I mention she had finished that bottle of wine?

"Sure," I snuggled in close to her, so close that the familiar smell began to filter through my system and I felt the anger lift.

We stepped out into the rainy night. It was a steady downpour that stemmed from nowhere, it had been so clear earlier. What was with this rain crap? Well, I didn't mind too much it gave me a reason to stand close to Peach and keep my arm definitively around her waist. She didn't seem to mind, maybe she was just drunk, maybe she was cold. Or maybe…

She wanted me.

We had made it I'd say half way home when Peach stopped,

"I feel woozy. Can we stop?"

"Yea, of course."

She sat down on the curb by the street and put her head between her legs, breathing deeply.

"Are you gonna puke?"

"I don't think so *hiccup*."

"That would be a total waste of 1000 dollar wine."

She tried to laugh but the attempt was weak.

I put my hand on her head moving her hair from around her shoulders, "if you gotta puke I'll hold your hair for ya."

"Oh, Sonic you're so *hiccup* sweet!" She turned around on her knees, staining her stockings until she was face to face with me. Well, more like face to chest. She was finally shorter then me and I couldn't see down her shirt!!

"Sonic why are you so sweet to me?"

"What?"

"Well, everyone *hiccup* is so afraid to *hiccup* even talk to me. Because of Mario…"

"That's preposterous that guy ain't shit!"

"I wish m-more people had your view of him. Cause then I'd have more friends. I d-don't have any…*hiccup*. Everyone is so intimidated by Mario. J-just because *hiccup* were engaged doesn't mean that n-no one should even t-try to be nice to me *hiccup*. Will you always be my friend Sonic?"

She put her head in my chest and started sobbing. Jesus what could I do?

I put my hand on her head feeling her hair that was gaining moisture as we sat there. Her parasol was on the ground next to her forgotten as we stood in the steady rainfall that was gaining momentum.

God it was gonna hurt to say this, "yeah, I'll be your…friend, Peach.'

She looked up at me, I wiped the tears from her cheeks, "really?" She asked with mirth.

I nodded my head, defeated, "yeah." My ears were flat against my head with self-loathing, "I'd do anything for you." But I was hoping for so much more then just friendship.

She patted me on the head, then noticed a point, "you're taller then me! I've never had a guy be taller then me. How tall are you?"

"Uh, 4' 3" I think."

"Well that doesn't m-make sense? *hiccup* I'm 5' 2" how are you taller then me?"

"You're on your knees, Peach."

She looked down, "oh, so I am…," she laughed a second before becoming somber again. "You're so forward Sonic. I like that most about you. H-here so many people a-are too afraid to get to know me and *hiccup* you're asking me out on dates and want me to live with you. Y-you're a breath of fresh air."

Everything she said me salivate and I could feel blood rushing fast through my veins. It was then that she started to lean into me. What was she doing? Did she know what she was doing? Better question, who cared? She was going to kiss me. She went for my cheek, ha! Screw that! I moved our lips in line with each other. They met, beautifully, perfectly like tectonic plates crashing together. My body was racked with wave after wave of heat and devastation. I was shaking hard enough for vessels in my brain to come unhinged, breathing hard and deep enough to tear my diaphragm up. I knew this little moment was going to more detrimental to me then years of chasing after Eggman, taking beatings, bruises kicks to the head. Nothing compared to the beautiful death that was consuming me.

I grabbed at her as she tried to move back from me, tangling my hand deep into her hair and biting her lower lip. She stayed where she was, curious, drunk, and unable to say no.

We kissed in the rain for I don't know how long. Me with my hand in her hair the other around her waist, she had her hands on my chest her body pushed against me, kissing me with unsure little pecks. When our tongues met it was like licking a battery. Seconds later she pulled away her first words were alarming,

"That was my first kiss, Sonic."

"No," I was horrified. I didn't know why. I mean, no one would ever be able to tell that her first kiss wasn't at her wedding, right? Still I was uneasy for her, especially when she started crying.

"Oh, God it's okay! Let's get a cab okay? You shouldn't walk home like this. You'll feel better when we get home."

For the second time that night, I swallowed a pill that was hard to choke down; this one much more jagged then the last. My core was turning like a stormy ocean as nausea rose menacing to spill everything that was inside out. I had broken out into a cold sweat that only an even colder shower could remedy. Peach was crying uncontrollably into my chest, I could tell she desperately regretted what she had done. This was it. She would never talk to me again. What would I have to do to make this better? There was nothing I could, I had royal blown it, rather blown it with royalty.

"Sonic," her voice was lifeless.

"What?"

"I-I can't breathe…," her chest was heaving and terrible tremors where coming in waves over her. Peach's temperature was rising I could tell by our proximity and her heart rate was climbing.

She was displaying all the symptoms of an allergic reaction or poisoning.

"Oh, God Peach just hold on…TAXI!" I yelled as soon as I saw yellow. It was just a regular car.

It had started to thunder angrily around us. The streets were dark and empty. Peach was crying, "Please Sonic! I can't breathe! I feel…"

"Okay, I know!" I picked her up. She was so light, "can you hold on really tight Peach?"

She couldn't talk, but I felt her hands around my jacket.

"Thank you Peach," I kissed her on the chin. I was relieved when she didn't recoil from my touch.

I could have cried.

I put my glasses on to hopefully shield my eyes from some of the winds. I took off at a slow pace, if I went any faster I would be blinded from the rain, I was also frightened of slipping, at Mach II slipping can be fatal.

As I ran I looked for a taxi anything, but there was seriously no one on the road and not a single person on the streets. The damn city was dead.

Peach was shivering so much that I was vibrating with her body's effort to fight off the histamines that were dilating her veins, constricting her airway and altogether, raping her insides

"I'm sorry Peach, I'm so sorry!" what could have done this to her? It couldn't have been are kissing. Was she allergic to hedgehogs? No, it was something else that was just now taking affect. Something she must have had a while ago, and hour ago, in a restaurant.

The Wine.

She was going limp, the shaking and rocking of my running body could not be helping that bottle of toxins in her stomach.

I couldn't even see the mansion, at my full speed I would have been there and back again, but at this rate it was going to take at least fifteen minutes.

She was slipping from me no longer holding on. I skidded to a halt a tedious effort at my speeds and tried to wake her up.

"Peach please you havta stay awake!!" The wind was howling through the great trees around us so loudly. They moaned like a haunted choir and squealed like sirens through the air. It was so loud that it was hard for me to hear myself, how was I ever going to through to her?

I searched around, no sign of the mansion, but there were lights on the horizon. I moved in the direction of the lights we could at least find shelter there for the night. Whatever they wanted these people I would give them. I would suck their dicks if it meant a way to save Peach.

I had never seen this place before, this barn. I came to the conclusion that I was had gotten me and Peach lost.

As I came closer to the place I noticed something wrong, disturbed. It looked like people were hanging from its ceiling, from huge hooks the kind you'd hang coats on, or raw meat. I came closer, I was seeing things, I hadn't sleep in little over a month, and I had to be hallucinating.

But the images weren't going away, as I got closer. No, they were coming into finer detail. These were definitely humans hanging from those massive hooks most of them I knew. The waiter from the restaurant, the guys with the bad toupees, their sluts all of them hanging limply in neat rows, unmoving and pale.

I looked down at Peach she was shivering, freezing but alive. I felt like an asshole but I had to know what was going on with in the barn ahead of us. I persisted onward.

I got only inches closer and was able to make out light, translucent strings, four for each person two for their legs and two for their arms. These were looped around the hook, which was a relief; at first glance I thought it was their skin that was pierced.

But why strings? Each one was sewn through the skin down to the bone. I could tell how deep they were by deep scars that were coming into my view. It was then I had the epiphany. They were puppets. They were fake! That's why the town cleared out so early. The puppet master had given Peach and I enough to make us buy the whole scenario then he had packed up and gone to bed. It had begun to rain even harder then before the thunder and lightening strikes came closer and closer together. I had to let my curiosity go unsatisfied. I was walking now keeping my eyes on the barn for as long as I could until I saw movement.

I giant white hand floated behind the windows.

Crazy Hand.

He stopped as if he had heard my thought. Looking out, if you can call it that, over the grounds, searching for us. I tried to remain still as I could and waited for him to retreat back into the barn. He didn't suddenly search lights were on and scanning the earth for something.

I ducked under some brush and held Peach close, hiding her as much as I could with my body, if anything I would stop him from making her into a puppet.

I though of her beautiful silky body hanging form one of those hooks, deep scars and gashes boring right to her bone, marring her. Her skin falling off from disease and infections that I wouldn't be able to save her from and her dark blue eyes, paled over and hard. Strings dripping blood pulled through her arteries and her dancing dead and jerky with every tug from Crazy Hands fingers.

That's the kind of things you think about when you're scared shitless.

"Peach, Jesus I'm sorry. I've got us killed. I'm so fucking stupid!" I stopped my rambling as I heard her stir.

She looked up at me confused eyes, glazed.

"Peach, please don't hate me," I said as the search light shown on us and thunder split the sky into pieces and true sirens blared out. I spoke so quietly the sound was almost lost in the chaos, "I love you."

She smiled at me.

Then it hit me, like a thousand volts of electricity. It felt like I had wires running all through me, under my nails into my irises, into my mouth and down my larynx, all the way to my lungs, through my heart down every artery up every vein. I had been snaked through my urethra to my ears and connected to a generator and then a switch had been flipped on. The force was so powerful that it burned up the ground around me, tore my jacket into ashes and shattered my glasses. I heard a beast somewhere in the trees growling with demonic ferocity. It was my own voice breaking with terrible force and then echoing off trees at a louder decibel then the thunder. I was holding onto Peach with a death grip as I screamed the pain so immense and agonizing that I was literally breathing blood and tasting gastric acid. I felt my feet leave the ground as time slowed down. I could feel my skin prickle and the hair on my head expand out, effected by the static electricity that I was conducting. The pain had subsided and now only pure raw power was left, my reward for surviving.

I liked this feeling, I liked it a lot.

I looked around; I could see everything now that my eyes weren't rolled to the back of my skull. I was able to see light in darkness and the moving of all life. I saw briefly Crazy Hand in the window of his barn perfectly still. How unlike him, he must have been afraid.

_Are you afraid? _I thought, _you should be._

The temptation to destroy him right then and there was overwhelming. I stared down at the girl in my arms, she needed help. Kill Crazy Hand or save this girl who may or may not hate me. There was no competition. I shot high into the air seeking out the mansion. When I found it I flew at break neck speeds faster even then when I ran towards its direction. My body was unharmed as I crashed through a window to gain quick entry into the mansion's hospital wing.

I dropped to the ground in front of the stunned nurses. All of them were on the floor blown over from the force of my power. They were scared too. I smiled at them and could feel my teeth like someone had filed them, I licked them and felt blood drawn from the light contact. I loved this feeling.

I held out Peach to them, some part of me still realizing the gravity of her situation.

"Please?"

All the nurses looked at each other. One redheaded girl approached me, taking Peach slowly. Our hands touch momentarily, and she screamed falling to her knees nearly dropping Peach as she seizured as if she was experiencing an epileptic fit.

How had I hurt her and not Peach?

"Thank you," my voice was not my own. It felt strange, that sound on my lips.

A huge wave of energy shot from my body in a final burst sending the nurses back to the ground as I fell to my knees. The last thing I remember was all the nurses surrounding me and laughter, my own psychotic laughter as I fell back into that very familiar black hole called unconsciousness.

I had a dream about hunters. They were trying to catch people to drain; they were cannibals and did as they pleased. The only thing they respected was me. In my dream these hunters would sacrifice themselves to me when they got old. I would take them and bleed them from the jugular, drinking the long thick vein dry. These cannibals feared and worshipped me because the most pleasurable experience in this world I dreamed of was to be used by me. That's why they took other people, they tried to give them the sense of euphoria they dreamed of one day dying of, but that was ridiculous.

Only I could give that pleasure. These cannibals, they were just killing people, inflicting so much suffering that it made me happy to see something bad come from such well meaning intentions.

I woke up laughing.

This caught my throat off guard. Something was in it. A tube, I actually had tubes in me, a catheter, at least four iv's and a couple smaller tubes in my nose to keep me breathing. I couldn't open my eyes, damn it! I just had that bandage removed now I needed another one? No, I was just that weak. That used up.

But why? For the life of me I couldn't remember what the hell had happened last night. Then it came back in bits in pieces, well, in big chunks mainly concerning Peach.

I remembered the cold, her crying and shivering, me going hypersonic, and our kiss.

I started to cry with happiness; thank God I hadn't forgotten that.

My sobbing made my throat close up, I started to choke. I could hear a fuzzy beeping in the background, as my ECG went crazy.

I could hear the clicking of heels. Shit that reminded me! The nurse from last night was she okay? The emotion of the situation was too much for me to handle.

I mustered all the strength I could and started to tear the pads off my chest and the IV's from my arm. I had felt my way down to the catheter when the nurse stopped me.

"Oh, honey! Don't do that!!" She pinned my arms to my side. Normally I could have overpowered her, but in my weakened state she might as well have been a body builder.

I couldn't see her was she the redhead? No I'd probably killed her. I started sobbing like a moron again drooling because I couldn't swallow. How miserable I must have looked.

"Oh, honey. Shhh…," she stroked my head in an attempt to soothe me. "There, there it's okay." She put her hand on mine then quickly moved it, "I'll take the feeding tube out so you can talk. Would you like that?"

I nodded my head.

"But you have to let me put the IV's back in okay?"

I nodded my head again.

"Good boy," I hated being treated like a dog. "This might pinch."

The pain of her re-administering the IV's was minuscule to what I had felt last night. I would never forget that pain. It was the pain of going hypersonic without a chaos emerald in sight.

She brought in a few more nurses to help her with the feeding tube that was uncomfortable but again bearable.

"Peach!" My voice was weak, "Where's Peach?"

"She's just fine. Thanks to you."

I could feel more hands on me mainly around my mouth wiping up all that slobber and around my hands. Why was everyone touching my hands?

Someone cleaned the breathing apparatus around my nose; someone was putting fresh pads on my chest.

I forced my eyes open to look around. I saw fire. It was hair. The redhead! She was alive. I hadn't killed her.

"How are you?" It was my voice, shaky yes, but mine deep down.

She blushed putting her hand to her cheek, "uh, great actually". Her hand came down to mine. She waited for a second a confused look coming over her face as she waited for a few more seconds. When nothing happened she moved it a looked of pure heartbreaking disappointment darkening her features.

"What?" Was all I could get out.

"Oh, nothing," she had the look of someone getting caught stealing. She nearly sprinted from the room.

All the other nurses giggled.

"What? What just happened?" I asked lazily but with genuine wonderment.

"Um," they all looked at each other until one spoke out.

"Last night when you touched her hand, you know when you gave the Princess to her?"

I nodded my head.

"Well, when she fell to the ground we were all so worried. We thought she was going into convulsions. Well, this morning she let us all in on what really happened…" She looked at all the other nurses who laughed like school girls.

"Go on!" I could hear my ECG going off again.

"She said that when you touched her you gave her the best orgasm she ever had!"

"WHAT?? She orgasmed? That's not what it looked like…but…how was I able to?

"We figured that in your higher state of power you were able to direct all her nervous impulses and blood flow, start up her sympathetic nervous system at the right time and place causing her to have this massive climax."

"Why?"

"We just think it was your way of thanking her, subconsciously of course."

"As you may imagine she's quite fond of you now," they all laughed.

"Is that why everyone has been touching my hands?" I looked up knowingly.

It was their turn to look caught.

I smiled at them, "its okay. I like the attention."

They all breathed thankful, "can we get you something to drink?"

"That's would be awesome."

Two of the three rushed off, the last lingered. Making sure that the other nurses were gone before locking the door. She pulled a chair up to my bed side.

"So," she laid her hands on me gently messaging my shoulder with one while the other traced lines up and down my arm. "What were you doing out in the rain last night anyway?"

I was a comfortable and convincing liar, "you know I can't really remember."

"It just seems strange that you and the Princess ended up this way," The hand that was on my arm was now on my chest, the other was in my quills pulling at the sensitive ones behind my neck.

At this point I got creeped out was she coming onto me?

"It got late, we decided to walk home that's it. Don't you have some nurse duties to worry about?"

"You're the only one in the hospital, I have all day," her hand was now far down my abdomen. A second later it was lost beneath the sheets.

I tried to look down at what she was doing; she pulled on my quills forcing me back onto the pillows.

I felt her hands around me, stroking my trigger so to speak. It felt good. I closed my eyes forgetting how strange this all was, and let her do as she wanted. I was hard even with a catheter.

"Big for a hedgehog aren't we."

My eyes snapped open. That was a snide, sarcastic remark, I didn't care how good it felt this was all too Goddamned creepy and she was a bitch.

"Shit lady let me GO!!" My arms reached to free me from her, but they were too weak and shaky even more so now that I was aroused.

"Shhh…don't fight it you know it feels good. Here…"

Before I could stop her she had tied gaze around my wrists and fastened them to the bar above my head bending the iv's in my veins, causing a strange aching sensation to numb them. She came back to me doing as she had before this time pulling on the catheter,

"That's what we get for being so rude."

"Gngh!" The sensation made my stomach tense, and the pleasure made me see stars.

"Tell me Sweetheart, what exactly did you see last night?" She dipped her head between my legs and with that soft smooth tongue started to caress my scrotum.

"Oh God….," I manage to forget who the hell I was. I couldn't remember, "honestly…lady please."

"Begging already?" The bitch, "you saw something out there to make you go hypersonic. Tell me what it was or I'll stop."

I couldn't fathom a world without her hands around me. She was still stroking me, but now she was using her other hand to gently pull and push the catheter in and out. I could hear my ECG going crazy again beeping so quickly it sounded like a bomb about to go off. All the while her mouth sucked on me. It was perfect torture. If she speed up the motion anymore I would orgasm all over her hands, but she had such control and experience that she was able to perpetually keep me in limbo until she found out what she wanted to know.

"Grrrr…You stupid whore!" I asked her, "why the hell are you doing this?"

"Forgetting formal vocabulary I see. Are we that excited?" She sucked hard and teased, "I'll let you dump this load wherever you want to; just tell me what you saw."

I twisted my fingers into the sheets above my head and gritted my teeth as I tried desperately to remember what had happened the other night. What had made me go hypersonic?

"I was…*huff* afraid *ahh* for Peach!"

"How sweet," she scoffed. "Why were you afraid?"

Tears were streaming down my face; I tried to tear my hands free. I could just beat her off me then, but she had tied me too tight and I was too weak to even struggle. The sheets around me had been torn asunder in my thrashing, my toes were cramping from being curled so long, and sweat had soaked the mattress.

"I DON'T REMEMBER!!!" This bullshit had gone on for nearly fifteen minutes I couldn't handle another second.

"I don't believe you!" She squeezed me hard and then stopped. I climaxed, but due to lack of stimulation it failed. I moaned so loud with disappointment as the potential release faded, that she had to put her hand over my mouth to shut me up. She shoved the catheter in more then was necessary, jolting me as I arched involuntarily. The fatal pressure pushed my orgasm deep down. To say I was suffering would have been an understatement.

I was hysterical shaking from head to toe I managed to shriek, "PLEASE I DON'T FUCKING REMEMBER!!"

She looked at me analyzing me. I looked at her with every emotion coming to the surface. My hands were numb from pulling my restraints so tightly, my mask was not working fast enough to keep oxygen in my lungs, and the iv's were either pushed in too deeply or they had simply fallen out. How could someone take this much torture and not tell the truth?

"You really can't remember, can you?"

I shook my head, "NO!!"

She smiled, that wicked little bitch, "okay I believe you." She pulled the catheter completely out from my urethra. "Where do you want it?"

The feeling of her pulling the catheter finally out was more awesome then words could describe. About a ton of backed up pre-cum spilled from the head of my dick onto my stomach as I said, "your mouth."

"Okay," she looked confused, but she got up on the bed undoing my wrists before putting her head between my legs and taking me to the balls. I could feel the warmness of the deep back of her throat; she choked on me. That's what I was looking for. I grabbed the back of her head.

"SUCK THAT!!" She tried, sucking as much as she could of me as. She choked and her eyes watered.

"You stupid cunt!" I yelled at her, "this is what you get. *ah* for being a BITCH!! Ngnh!!" I pushed her head further down my dick, tightening my grip on her, pulling her hair. She wasn't going anywhere until I was done with her.

"Fucking slut. Hope this is worth whatever they're paying you to molest you're patients," my words were making her shake. "What are you telling me you *fuck* like this? Ngnh!" I hit my orgasm. Dumping about a years worth of sperm down her throat I seriously climaxed for five minutes skull fucking the brains out of that girl. I held her head in place until the last drop oozed from my orifice. I had cum so much it spilled out of her mouth and dripped down my shaft.

"Swallow that!!" The strength I had recovered was really coming in handy. I held tight to her, pushing her head back to my testis. "SWALLLOW THAT!!"

Her look was pained as she coughed down my sticky ejaculation.

"You missed some," I made her lick me clean. She lapped it up greedily. She really did enjoy this.

"Now lick your lips you know I taste good," she did as she was told. "Tell me I taste good," I took advantage of her weakness like she had mine.

"You taste…," her breath smelled like me, everyone would know. "Good."

"Tell me something I don't know. Now get the fuck out of here!" I pushed her to the ground.

She ran to the door shaking as she unlocked it, I could smell the arousal between her legs as she ran from the room, she would remember this encounter forever, that much was sure.

Finally the other nurses returned with my drinks.

"Holy crap, now you guys get back. Jesus I'm really thirsty."

The nurses looked down at my state, their cheeks flushing, "oh dear…what happened."

"Can we just say the redhead came to return the favor?"

They both looked at each other, clearly more then happy to have some new gossip to spread around. Whatever kept them from asking questions, I don't think I could've handle anymore.

21


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five: Meta Knight

It was December Fifth; by this time I had finally had my first fights, and won them. The schedule for the fights at this point had finally been posted, and the routine was clear for all to see. There would be seventeen days each month of continuous fighting, then seventeen days of resting and training, this would succeed another seventeen day cycle, until the year was over. This rigorous schedule kept me from looking too deep into what Jigglypuff had said nearly two months ago. I had seen nothing to raise any of my alarms; I continued to keep quiet waited still for the opportune moment to strike.

Back to the brawls, at this point everyone had had at least two. The scores had been updated that day and somewhere very happy others where quite disappointed with themselves. I couldn't have been happier myself. I was also rather proud of Jigglypuff who had won both of her matches respectively, and had nothing but thanks and gratitude for me.

She was the most endearing thing I had ever laid eyes on.

We had very little time to relish our accomplishments when Master Hand had another dreadful announcement for us.

"Housemates as you may know the weather for the next two days promises to be a warm and balmy 75 degrees. I think it would be a good idea for all of your to go camping!"

Everyone in the house looked aghast, except Falco who let out a loud whoop of approval.

"I see at least one person is excited about the proposal. This is how it's going to work I'm going to split you guys into groups of about 6 with one group of five, designate you all an area, supply you with all necessary materials, and let you have as much fun as you can possibly handle."

"Awesome! Isn't that great guys?" Falco was shaking with tremors of anticipation, happy enough for all of us to be sick with it.

"Yeah, great," Fox looked concerned for his friend's mental health.

"Well, without further ado here are the groups: group number 1 Falco, Fox, Meta Knight, Princess Peach, Jigglypuff and Sonic."

I smiled at Jigglypuff.

"I can always tell you're happy because your eyes turn pink."

"Or maybe you just know me very well Jigglypuff."

She smiled, "I like to think that helps."

Sonic and Peach looked at each other, this was the first time I had seen them both so unenthused to be spending time together. Even Sonic seemed as if someone had just given him a rapid monster to tame, he looked at Peach daunted and if I knew any better I would say fearfully.

Fox and Falco gave each other a whip like high five.

"Yeah, bitch!!"

"This is totally gonna rock!!"

"Here is your map to the camp site," he entrusted the thing to me. He recognized responsibility when he saw it. "I hope that you will make it there with little trouble. Here are your tents," He handed one to Sonic, another to Falco, and the last one to Peach. "I believe you guys are capable of picking partners on your own. Or is that asking too much?"

"We can do it!" Sonic gingerly smiled at Peach. She wasn't looking at him.

"Your fishing poles?" The Master Hand asked.

"Yea, that would be amazing!" Falco collected all the poles throwing them over his shoulder.

"How about food?" Jigglypuff asked.

"That's what the fishing poles are for."

"Yes!" Falco was ecstatic, "I love roughing it."

"That's nice," Fox replied.

"You guys are free to leave whenever you like, though I suggest you pack quickly so that you can make it to your site before nightfall."

"Who needs to pack?"

"I do but just a few things," Peach being the only human was naturally going to need products of sort, what's that stuff called? Sun block lotion, extra clothes and the like.

She was ready in plenty of time to start the extravaganza hours before sunset.

We started on our walk, through the deep misty forest around us, even deeper still in search of the lake Master Hand promised would mark when we were close. It was beautiful weather really just as had been expected. It was rather extraordinary the feeling of leaving civilization behind. To leave that monotony for a more helter and hectic plane was a sensation I was very use to. Theses were learning experiences that were priceless and indefinable. The Master Hand was rightfully trying to instill in us a sense of teamwork and success in the most demanding of terrains. Or he was just trying to get a couple of cheap laughs, either way I was glad to be going on this little adventure.

"How much further?" Fox was already complaining, we had been hiking little under an hour.

"We are on the right track, I'm sure. I mean Meta Knight has the map so we must be."

I was more then sure of myself, but just to be sure, I called to Sonic.

"Yeah?"

I asked him to run a couple of miles to the north. If he found a sign that said 'group 1' then we were on the right path.

"Yeah, no problem," he took off running creating that infamous vortex after him.

He was back seconds later, "that's it! Damn Meta Knight thank God one of us has a sense of direction."

The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement.

I thanked him. He was no longer carrying his tent, what had happened to it?

"Oh, I set that thing up while I was there. That's what took me so long."

"Oh yeah, dude that was a ridiculously long time we had to wait for your slow ass," Falco laughed at his own sarcasm.

"Alright everyone, let's keep on or I'll leave you behind."

"Hey, I could carry some of the supplies to campsite to have them ready for you guys whenever you get there."

"Could you carry me?" Fox asked in all seriousness. "Please?"

"What? No!"

"I will pay you!" Fox had pulled out his wallet.

Sonic gave into monetary temptation, "okay whatever."

"Sick!" Fox jumped abruptly into Sonic's arms.

"Dude, get on his back," Falco said. "You're a guy not a damsel in distress."

"Why? Getting on his back would be way more gay."

"Who the hell cares?" Sonic, with those final words closed the argument taking off with Fox and the tent he was carrying.

We trekked on for another fifteen minutes or so, Jigglypuff, Peach, and Falco singing off key campfire songs as they skipped together through the woods, until we finally could feel the cool air that came as a result of moisture.

We came around a bend in a little unpaved trail and saw the lake ahead of us.

Falco and Jigglypuff both looked at each other, awe struck.

"It's beautiful!" Jigglypuff squealed.

The sun was shimmering on the lake giving it the illusion of crystal. The sky was clear as one could have hoped and the wind was light and warm.

We were welcomed at the camp by the profound smell fire. Two of the tents had already been erected, Fox sitting in his not wanting the sun to bless his skin with some dearly needed vitamin D and Sonic, we deduced, was out running laps somewhere.

The temptation to unfurl my wings and take flight was strong. I fought it, I had other duties before me.

I told Jigglypuff to go and enjoy herself, I would set up the tent I assumed we would be sharing.

"Are you sure? I'd be more then happy to help."

I assured her it was no problem.

"Yeah, Jigglypuff let your man do all that. Let's go swimming!"

"He's not my…"

Falco had already taken off his shirt and pants and was rushing to the lake eager to be the first one in.

"Ah well!" She ran after him.

The day was no less then perfect. After I set up the tent I made my way to the lake to spread my wings fully for the first time in a couple of months. I caught a gust and glided over the surface of the water, watching myself in the dark satin liquid like an old frame by frame movie, catching my movement just an instant to late reflecting them even later. I let the harsh cold air fill my lungs, so cool enough as to purify me. I did flips in the air and spirals, not to show off there was no one to see, I did it as a gesture of pure ecstasy. I let the winds carry me wherever they pleased, I did not fight them. They took me far away from the campsite, from everything. I flew so long and so low to the water that the fishes deep down by the filmy lake bottom rose up to follow me. They didn't see me as a threat anymore, now I was a trustworthy leader.

I took advantage of their naivety.

I speared several at a time, creating a collection on my sword. When I had at least ten I turned back towards camp.

Everyone was stunned.

"Right on Meta Knight you rock!"

Fox finally popped his head from the window of his tent, "what's up guys?"

"Meta Knight brought us food. Isn't he the greatest?"

"Holy crap," Fox nearly toppled his tent in his effort to exit it.

"Peach! Meta Knights gonna cook us up some fish!"

Peach was sun bathing on a foam mat out on the lake, "Huh?" She yelled.

"FOOD!!" Jigglypuff could roar like a woman twice her size.

"GO GET SONIC!" Falco added, "I haven't seen that guy all day."

"Strange," I thought. "I will go and find him. Can you cook this fish Falco?"

"Are you kidding? I'd love to."

Jigglypuff grabbed my arm, giving me the once over. Her look told me that she was perturbed, "don't do anything stupid. I know you. You like to take things into your own hands! Just be cool okay?"

I nodded my head, I knew what she meant. She had been scolding me for, as she put it, trying to be a mediator to everyone's problems. She said that I had a control issue and that is why I was always trying to take over situations that didn't call for my intervention. I understood her argument, that doesn't mean I agreed.

It didn't take me long to find the hedgehog. He was behind a tree, his head resting on one of his folded arms, he was talking to himself. I couldn't hear the words he spoke but I knew they had something to do with what he was looking at which was, of course, the sun bathing Peach.

I was really growing tried of finding him in such compromising positions.

This is one of those things Jigglypuff would tell me to walk away from. The Wario incident had been an exception to this rule seeing as he had been spying on children. This, she would reason, was not in my jurisdiction to correct. Peach was a grown woman and Sonic a grown man. They had their own issues that they would have to work through themselves without me butting in.

That is what she failed to understand. He was a grown man who should be able to control himself. But since he lacked that ability it was my responsibility to not turn the other cheek and let him go unpunished.

Jigglypuff favored a very hands-off policy, whereas I favored the opposite. Evidently so did Sonic.

I tried to come at him quickly before he heard my advancing footsteps but his acute hearing did not betray him. He spotted me and took off running. I considered indulging in a chase, but had no delusions of catching him so I simply watch as he, in his attempt to escape tumbled from the cliff he had been standing next to, hitting the water below with a surprisingly loud splash.

I stepped to the edge of the cliff to observe what happened next, Sonic sputtering and yelling for help, splashing around in a manic attempt to stay above the surface of the water.

Apparently the hedgehog couldn't swim.

"Ugh…"I would have to save him. If he expired, I would never hear the end of it from Jigglypuff.

I waited a minute, watching the perverts head bobble up and down out of the water, into the air, back under again. The bubbles were starting to steadily decrease in number and frequency.

I should aid him. I knew deep down I should. I prepared myself for the descent when who should come floating by as if by fate, but Princess Peach.

She heard the ruckus in the water next to her and as compassionate as her heart was, she dove without a second thought into the water.

"Damn," I had unintentionally brought about exactly what I had been trying to prevent.

Peach had Sonic in her arms and was dragging his dead weight back to her raft. As soon as Sonic felt it's stability he lunged forward, pulling Peach with him. He shook over her spraying a ten foot radius.

"THANK YOU PEACH!!" Sonic tackled the already downed Princess pushing his head into her chest and holding fast to her.

"You're welcome Sonic," her face was red.

I could hear chattering at the nearby camp, they had heard the noise, how could they've not?

"Sonic are you okay?" That was Jigglypuff.

"No! Your bloody boyfriend tried to kill me!"

"What are you talking about?" Jigglypuff was quick. She only barely scanned the area for me when I was spotted, "META KNIGHT!! GET DOWN HERE!!"

Her scream was at such a decibel that those in the direct line of fire were temporarily deafened.

"Ugh…," I did not have time to let the ringing from my ears fade. I had to face her wrath now or it would be magnified tenfold.

I landed next to her, "yes Jigglypuff?"

She grabbed my hand, "come here."

"OOO, someone in is trouble," Falco could be magnificently immature. He practiced the art until he was a maestro of sorts.

"Whipped!" Fox was his partner in instigation.

"Meta Knight I can't believe you! What did I tell you earlier?"

I refused to talk to her; I simply turned myself right around and began to make for the food.

"META KNIGHT DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME!!"

"Jigglypuff you are hysterical you wouldn't understand the circumstances."

'Try me!"

There was no escape, her anger was insatiable and relentless. "Fine, I found that hedgehog peeping at the Princess, just as he was that day at the poolside."

"Meta Knight," she sounded exhausted. "It's not up to you to try and right things like that."

"So I should just let the hedgehog walk away free of the consequences of voyeurism?"

"Well, you didn't make things any better by trying to. He nearly drowned."

"Yes, if I would have known such a detail I would have thrown him into a bed of water a long time ago," I said this under my breath; Jigglypuff showed no sign of having caught the remark. "I truly didn't mean to exacerbate the situation, but something had to be done."

"Sometimes it's not up to you though, I mean…was Princess Peach mad?"

"She was unaware. She was a victim."

"He was being harmless. Look!" She directed my attention to out on the water, "what do you see there?"

She was victorious, her point proven beyond a doubt. I lay my sword down in defeat of her superior debate skills. There in the water was Peach, lying on her mat in a state of utter radiating contentment. Sonic nestled next to her talking, peacefully his arm locked around her shoulders with Peach not minding in the least.

"Jigglypuff, you are right," I was not too proud to admit when I was wrong; I had an elevated sense of honor and respect, a code of ethics that told me to be a warrior even if it was hard to do so. "But I must tell Mario of this you, do realize."

Jigglypuff rolled her eyes at me, "keep out of other people's business. You don't know anything about Mario or Peach, or those two down there. Stop being such a presumptuous jerk!"

Again I couldn't argue with her.

Jigglypuff, a woman beyond her years, stood before me. Though hopelessly defeated and mortified I couldn't help but smile at her. Everyday she taught me so much.

"I will try for you Jigglypuff," I bowed.

She was beside herself, "oh, you." I had never seen her so giddy.

I preferred this look to all others. This one that was now in her eyes lighting her up, making her luminescent.

"HEY, ASSHOLES! FOOD'S READY!!"

Jigglypuff was able to muster a sarcastic reply, "nice to know chivalry isn't dead."

The food was scrumptious. Falco had done an excellent job at cooking and was a gracious host.

"Everyone like it? C'mon give me my props!"

Fox and Sonic who both had their mouths filled, lifted their fist in unison giving the boasting Falco air props.

"Thank you! Thank you! Would anyone like seconds?"

The same couple as before raised their hands.

"How about we thank Meta Knight for catching the fish in the first place?"

"Thank you!"

"Thanks."

"Righteous you are!"

"Uh-huh."

"You are all very welcome."

Darkness was leaking from the east, reaching its claws across the horizon, extinguishing lights and bringing unbridled cold in its wake. It wasn't before long we were engulfed in almost perfect pitch. The creatures of the night came out from hiding lusting to wreak their mischief on such unsuspecting day dwellers as ourselves cocky enough to be in their domain past the time where the light form the sun could provide sanctuary. We were theirs to devour.

We all had gathered around the campfire. Everyone, save me, was wrapped in some sort of fabric. Jigglypuff looked twice her size, tightly coiled in her massive wool blanket, she still manage to shiver. Sonic had his arms wrapped firmly around Peach who was returning the favor. I could tell by the look on the hedgehog's face that if he had died right then, he would have died at the peek of his existence. They were draped in at least four thick voluptuous blankets. Fox and Falco were also fully adorned.

"Yeah, a balmy 75 during the day and a freaking 50 below at night. Asshole kinda forgot to warn us about that."

"Thank goodness Peach packed all these blankets. She's so smart," Sonic heaved a sigh of adoration.

"Oh, it's not a problem!"

"Where were you able to hold all these though?"

"That's right I never showed you guys!" She pulled from her person a small little pouch. "It's my bad of infinite holding! Well sort of. It holds a lot I know that."

"Hey, can I try that?" Fox was too eager.

"Uh, sure," Peach handed the pouch to Fox, who smiled evilly at Falco.

"Dude whatever you are planning just think it…AHHH!"

Fox dove at Falco and with one quick motion was able to trap the bird's entire body into the thing.

"IT WORKS!! Can I have it?"

"No you can't have it," Peach snatched it back from Fox inverting it, shaking out Falco, "It was an engage-engagement present." The way she had hesitated to say the word made me suspicious. I looked to Sonic who visibly cringed, not from the cold I could see that something else had taken him off guard.

"Hey let me back in there it was warm!" Falco protested, trying in futility to jump back into the pouch.

After the initial excitement of all that had worn away we were left with boredom and silence.

"This is lame," Sonic spoke first.

"Totally. Someone should tell a ghost story."

"Hey yeah, dude that sounds awesome!" Falco looked around at the group, "anyone know any good ones?"

"I do," Jigglypuff spoke in such a hushed voice. One could tell the story plagued her.

"Alright let's hear it."

"My mother use to tell me a story about a woman. This woman was very sad and alone, no one wanted to be around her because everyone unfortunate enough to be in her path fell ill with disease, the disease called despair."

'This is gonna be good," Fox put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"They called her a witch, but she really wasn't she was just so sad and alone that she had forgotten how to smile, they just were compassionate these people that felt disease. So all those in the village cast out of their heart all love and left the woman to die of sadness. She was lost and helpless until a strange man came into town. This woman found love in this man, love that no one else had ever shown her. Then one day this man left."

"Where'd he go?" Sonic's eyes were wide and unblinking.

"To war, war that her village had created with a far off land. He was killed in that war the man she loved. It was then that this woman went crazy. She secluded herself to the night, when she would come out, it would be to search for her love, convinced that he was somehow still alive. If you listen carefully you can hear her in the trees…howling."

Jigglypuff, proving herself to be a master story teller, halted then allowing everyone to her the moaning we were now so aware of.

"Spooky," Peach said.

"This is when the story takes a dark turn. People started to go missing," Jigglypuff spoke so suddenly that everyone jumped, save me.

"When they found the missing they would only find bits and pieces of them. Torn apart and mutilated. They searched high and low for the Lake Witch they called her, because they would always find the remains near a lake."

"Oh, ha. No shit!" Fox was nearly crying with fear, but laughing too. His panic nearly to a crescendo.

"One day a man happened upon a seemingly abandoned shed. But inside he found traces of murder. A body composed of several all of them crudely sewn together with thick river reeds to form a person of sorts. Nearly finished save for the eyes, heart and hands. From what the local authorities could figure, the witch had been stealing body parts from the living in attempts to create for herself a new lover one that resembled the man she had had and lost. She had not yet found eyes that made her weak, hands that made her tremble, or a heart that could love only her."

"Holy crap," Sonic spoke for the group.

"They say that since then she has roamed places like these, looking for some fresh new bodies to help her complete what she never was able to finish! Don't ever roam these places at night, for the Lake Witch will find you and tear you to pieces! BOO!" Jigglypuff added that last bit with a laugh, no one else was laughing.

"So, who wants to sleep all in one tent tonight?"

"I do!"

"Sounds awesome," Fox and Falco both simultaneously got up, nearly sprinting to their tent.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna bunk up with them, what do you think Peach?"

"Sounds great," she was noticeably shaking.

Jigglypuff and I were left alone.

"That was quite a story you told."

"Yeah, it used to really freak me out as a kid. It kept me from straying to far from my mother which helped me not get caught by a trainer. So for that I'm kinda thankful."

"Is it based in any truth?"

"Oh I doubt it. Still…scary, huh?"

"They seem to think so", I could hear the foursome in the tent.

"Sorry guys I roll around a lot in my sleep so if you wake up and I'm on top of you, just kick me off," Sonic said this. He was lying looking for an excuse to get near to the Princess.

"Yeah, I have this habit of jizzing in people's ears when I'm sleeping so I hope someone brought Q-tips."

"Nice!" A sound of a high-five ensued.

"Ugh…," I was not looking forward to spending the night with such company.

"That's gross you guys, seriously!" Peach was just as unappreciative of their crass manners.

"I do not want to stay with them," I looked at Jigglypuff to see if she shared my feelings.

"They are kinda loud aren't they?"

"Very. What say we just wander around the lake for a bit, I mean at least until they go to sleep?"

"Even after that story you still want to go wonder around the lake?"

"Why not? You said so yourself that the story is not based in any truth."

"As far as we know," Jigglypuff whispered anxiously before, "sure, why not?"

"Excellent. Let's start this way and work our way around what do you say?"

"Okay!"

We took off; the night was beautiful as the day is succeeded, lovely calm and ever so quiet. The stars were infinitely spread over us, the moon was full and the water was eerily still. There was not a creature to be seen or heard, even so Jigglypuff stayed close to me mumbling to herself nervously. She seemed to take no comfort in the fact that her story was no more then that and even my close presence was not enough to calm her rising fears. Building with every step we took further and further away from the safety of our small lighted camp. Little did she know that nothing out there in that deep dark could be half as disturbing, or half as terrifying as me.

I was the thing to fear in the night.

"Meta Knight, did you hear that?" Jigglypuff instinctually grabbed for my hand, squeezing it. I can really hear something. "I'm not joking."

I listened carefully, "I cannot hear anything." I did take into consideration that her ears were much more acute then mine, "tell me what you hear."

"It sounds like howling or a siren maybe, I'm not sure. It's coming from around that tree."

There was a dense oak in front of us old and gnarled.

She was trying to scare me, pull a 'prank'. I decided not to spoil her fun, "okay I will go and check for you, stay here."

"Be careful, please!"

As I walked I thought about what to expect. When I turned from behind the tree to let her know that everything was well she would try to spook me with maybe a loud sound or maybe even a funny face. I made my round around the tree and discovering nothing turned back.

"Jigglypuff there's nothing back here," I braced myself for her scare tactic.

Nothing came.

"Jigglypuff?" I looked around in the darkness. I ran quickly down the shore looking behind dunes, in crevices, behind trees, up trees. I searched for ten minutes.

Jigglypuff was nowhere, she had disappeared.

"Jigglypuff if you are trying to scare me you are just making me extremely angry. I demand you cease this foolish game!"

A strange howl and the sound of lapping waves was the only thing that answered.

I couldn't help but think of jigglypuff's story and the woman it centered.

Surly it was not her who had taken Jigglypuff but fairy tale ghost do have basis in reality, whatever had inspired such a story could truly be lurking around corners or near trees ready to snatch and kill any small thing left to itself, any small thing like Jigglypuff.

"NO!" I opened my wings and flew with all my speed to the campsite. I would have liked to have set off in search of her myself but I knew that five people all with extraordinary abilities would be far better then one in a state of blind rage.

I tore into the tent, "wake up! All of you!"

I could see in the dim Sonic resting on top of Peach, breathing too quickly to be asleep and Fox snoozing.

Falco was gone.

"WAKE UP!!" My voice was like a low frequency bomb.

"WHAAA!!" Fox jumped out of his sleeping bag reaching for and nearly firing his Blaster.

Peach jolted out of her spot toppling Sonic, "Huh, what's going on?"

Fox noticed me first his eyes adjusting before the others, "damn Meta Knight you scared the hell outta me. What's up?" He started to put away his blaster.

"Don't put that away just yet, Fox."

"What's wrong? Why are your eyes red?"

"Jigglypuff is missing and Falco is also," I pointed to his abandoned sleeping bag.

"The Lake Witch!" Fox jumped to the conclusion, hugging his blaster for protection.

"When did she go missing?" Peach began to put proper clothes on.

"Not but fifteen minutes ago."

"Where?" Peach asked.

"Near the Lake…"

"The freaking Lake Witch!"

"Put your clothes on Fox! We all need to help find her," Peach admirably took control of the situation. "Sonic we need you too."

"Okay Peach, anything you guys need."

"We need to head out immediately we're wasting time even as we speak."

"What should I bring?" Fox had a heavily equipped utility belt.

"Everything!"

Sonic had put on his sneakers, "ready boss."

It was then we heard the scream, piercing and blood-curdling. Everyone listened as it faded from the night swallowed by darkness. There was an instant full of blind fear were no one was too paralyzed to speak. I broke this,

"GO!"

We all rushed from the tent, scattering in different directions all of us sure we were going towards the sound, but it surrounded us now, having echoed through a thousand trees the sound was unrecoverable, lost.

"Wait!" Fox was standing perfectly rigid. The ears on the top of his head were twitching widely like radar, "can you hear that?"

"Yeah," Sonic had now picked up the sound, his ears were also uncontrollable. "She's over there!" He took off running. In moments he was sucked silently and effectively into the depths of the forest.

I yelled out for him to stop! He had to stay together if we were to beat this thing.

It was no good, he was gone. It wasn't long before we heard a struggle.

"SONIC!"

I grasped Peach before she could rush blindly, "wait Princess. Fox, where is it coming from?"

He was composed, as scared as he had been before, he was putting up a rather convincing front. Utterly in control of himself, his eyes stern and calculating, "over there." He motioned with his head towards the path to follow.

We moved quietly, swiftly through the still, making our way towards our target. We could see it so close ahead of us moving just out of reach. The dark figure rushed further and further away until it was barely recognizable from the trees. We picked up speed not wanting to loose the trail. Just before we lunged to reach it, it disappeared into the air, as if into the sky a fuzzy blurred outline disappearing into the stars. It was a trap, I noticed only too late.

"STOP!"

"Whaa…" Fox tumbled firstly from the cliff. I heard his groans and yelps as bones broke and he fell into the open darkness.

"NO!" I dropped next trying to open my wings to cushion the impact. It only backfired as my wings tore and snapped like twigs. The excruciating pain put me into that low state of being, closing my mind to nothing but agony as rocks tore my skin and thorns pierced or cut me open.

I could vaguely hear someone falling beside me, rolling over tree roots and rocks. Princess Peach had fallen for the rouse as well. I could hear her delicate grunts and moans as she was scrapped along the rocky cliffs edge.

We hit the bottom, having fell what seemed like miles, landing with a tremendous thump.

I heard Fox moan as he tired to move and failed. He was whimpering slightly as he crawled in vain from an unknown force. I could hear heavy footsteps and the scraping of leaves as Fox scrambled desperately to get away from his pursuer.

"NO! S-stop!" Fox didn't have a chance. His arm broke, he wasn't able to even draw his blaster. I heard Fox scream as someone or the thing stepped down on his fracture. The sound of splitting bone and tearing flesh invaded my ears. I heard Fox through gritted teeth curse his captor then spit on it.

Whatever it was swooped him up, more followed suit from the shadows. I could hear them next to me by the Princess. She was not putting up a fight, she was unconscious.

Then they were on me, hands and fingers grasping under my broken wing. I stabbed in all angles catching the slick mush of skin and knew I had at least one. Next was a gargantuan pain, unrivaled by all others resulting in a blinding light and lastly unconsciousness.

When I awoke I was in a dimly light room, constrained by the wrist to a cold table, an autopsy table.

I tried to lie still and listen to my surroundings, I listened for nearly ten minutes. I recognized heavy breathing, someone next to me was either hurt badly or deeply scared. This person was battling against chains that bound them. Sonic, he was bawling fighting for escape. Other then him there was no noise, no sign of movement.

I allowed myself to take a quick look around. Not moving my head but rather straining my fine eye muscles to get a sufficient glance about the tomb.

It was all wood, where we in a cabin? No something else entirely, this was no place for people to thrive. The ceiling was high and slanted with many rafters crisscrossing, large hooks hung from each one, rusty and dripping with a foul mess. At the highest peak and where the timbers met there was a small oval window, large enough for an owl to fly into. A Barn Owl.

I was in a barn.

Next to me on a similar table was Sonic and to my other side Fox. I saw no clue as to where the girls could be.

Sonic eyes were staring into the slight light, completely terror-stricken.

I made an intrepid move, "Sonic can you hear me?"

"Meta Knight?" He was shaking with trepidation.

"Yes, Sonic. Do you know where we are exactly?"

"Yes," he was so hushed it was hard to interpret what he said. "They're…ill…Peach."

"Sonic you must speak louder!"

A door opened somewhere. I shut my eyes tight and controlled my breathing, to the untrained eye I would appear to be asleep.

Sonic panicked.

"Oh, shit it's you!" I could hear the shutting of a door.

"Happy? Did you miss me?" It was a female's voice.

"About as much as you missed choking on me I'm sure!"

"Oh, ouch." I followed the clicking of heels to Sonic's side, "then you must have missed me a lot."

"I think you've misunderstood disgust for something else."

I heard the clatter of chains, the scratch of metal pulling against metal, and then a scream which was cut abruptly as Sonic began to choke and wheeze. I heard the squeak of rubber soles against metal as Sonic thrashed.

"Not so smart now are we?" she was calm, her voice so tranquil for someone inflicting torture that I couldn't prevent the agitation that shook my spine.

I heard the slackening of chains as the thick metal hit the ground.

Sonic inhaled loudly, rasping, he spoke, "you pathetic *cough* bitch!! You never take me on unless *cough* I'm tied up, huh? You know I'd kill you!!"

She wasn't listening to him, her heels where making their way to me.

"I think your friend's awake. The one that caused us so much trouble. He destroyed one of our puppets. The naughty boy." I felt her hands on me, against my wings. She had absurdly thick nails which she employed, dragging them down my injuries.

The pain was causing blindness. I remained stoic, meditating to transcend this temporary discomfort. I had to; if I failed the consequences would be dire.

She started to peel off large portions of my wings, tearing it from the bone. When that wasn't enough to satisfy her, she grabbed the wing tight in her fist snapping it like a twig with strength that was surprising and agonizing.

She waited a couple minutes, twisting the fragmented bone as if attempting to pull it from my shoulder.

"It seems I was wrong," her breath was alkaline, ammonia. "Oh, well I still have you to play with." She said with glee.

"Fuck you! You hag! This is the only way you can get guys huh? If you force them."

Sonic was not helping his situation.

I heard the clanging of metal, "what to use though?" The woman's voice was behind me.

"Sonic!" I whispered astounded at how shaky my voice was. Keeping my eyes shut tight I told him that he had to distract her while I looked for a way to escape.

"I'll try, but she's evil. I remember it I remember everything!"

"Just stay calm, Sonic. This may be our only chance..!"

I heard the sound of metal being unsheathed.

"This one will do I think," she rounded again on the hedgehog. "I think you'll be able to fit this."

"Why are you doing this?" Sonic started in just as I had asked. He was braver then he gave himself credit for.

I tried to slip my arms from the restraint, no good they were fit tight. I searched around them for a release or a lock. It had the latter. My good wing I dared not move, for fear of giving my cover away. I twitched my foot, it was free.

"I do it for master. He promises great things for me so I long as I obey."

"Who the hell is your master? Who would want you to use people like this?"

I turned to Fox. He was out cold; he had lost so much blood his color was frail. His broken arm was twisted into the lock to fit clumsily. It was an open fracture that I could see bone protruding from. I twitched the foot nearest to him, it too was unsecured.

"Why are we so full of questions this time around? Last time I guess you were too aroused."

I used my left foot to carefully and in minuscule movements loosen the shoe on my right.

"Let's see what we can do with this, shall we? Open up dearie."

"If you take one step towards me with that, I swear to God lady…"

"We're scared aren't we? I don't think it's that big." She scrapped the thing across Sonics table; the screech was like the grinding of teeth. Sonic's acute ears must have been ringing. "I think with some coaxing we can get it all in."

"Fuck you!" Sonic was not going easily. I heard rubber against metal, metal against metal and lastly rubber against flesh.

He had made contact.

"OW!! Feisty, I like that. It will be so much more of a challenge to break you. Oh, an orifice!" Sonic's breath caught. She mused, "does it want to be fucked with steel?" the most awful slicing sound tore through the barn Sonic began to emit such noises as to haunt me to the grave. Dreadful growls and such screams of such furious anguish, I had to save him. But how? Even if I were to shout out to redirect her attention she would just mutilate me. She would move down the line then to Fox, to Falco, and when she got bored of our sounds she would upgrade to Peach and ultimately Jigglypuff. If she already hadn't.

I kicked my shoe off into Fox's face. He twitched and then opened his eyes.

I said his name twice before he noticed the sound over the screams.

"Meta Knight?" he was weak, so weak, "What's going on?"

I told him not to ask any questions, he would have to get one of his hands out of his restraints to access his blaster.

"Who…who's screaming? ... Meta knight…?"

I told him that Sonic was going to be killed if we didn't do anything very quickly, did he understand?

Fox looked up at his arm and moaned, "nooo…." He said sadly.

He could pull that arm out I knew he could if he tried! Sonic would die if he didn't I said once more.

Fox looked at me with meek determination. Sonic's howls could have mentally damaged anyone who laid witness to them. They sounded of a terrible mixture, pain but something else as well, as the woman drove her instrument deeper and harder.

Fox closed his eyes, as if he could will the suffering he felt and heard away. He turned his broken arm slowly in its' shackle, he let out a low growl.

I told him that he could do it. The thing was already deformed enough, he only need move it a bit more…

I could see the arm slipping in small increments out of the lock. The bone was shifting in and out of place as Fox fought against his own torture to end another's.

He opened the gash in his arm into bigger and bigger, blood gushed out onto the table and soaked Fox's clothes. I could hear the blood leaking off the table and the slow dripping it made, like clockwork onto the floor.

"Just a little more!" I coached. He was down to the first knuckles of his hand when his strength betrayed him.

"I can't…" I spat as he talked, he gagged when we looked at his arm.

If sonic had not let out a superbly loud cry at that very second, Fox and I would have been discovered.

"Yes and you have to! Can't you hear that poor boy?"

Sonic was whining and moaning out slurred profanities that were loosing gusto as he endured more and more of the woman.

I begged Fox to stay awake he was so close!

Foxes eyes rolled deep into the back of his head as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Fox!" I all but shouted.

When he didn't wake, I felt real hopelessness. I was not able to get myself, or anyone, out of this. We were all at the mercy of this woman who had so little to spare.

"NO!!" I yelled foolhardily. I couldn't let that happen to anyone. I would be the scapegoat. I was the most worthy of inhumane tortures. Not these innocents.

"Hello," the nurse stepped towards me, leaving the whimpering Sonic out of breath and delirious. "Jealous?" her tongue was wet against me.

"If you want something to kill occupy your time with me!" I could feel the sharp steel dagger gliding over my already torn wings. It was dripping; the aroma of blood was infiltrating my nostrils.

"It will be so good, I promise! You will never know such pleasure again. Like your lucky friend over there…he will die happy."

Then a destructive force ripped through the barn. Dark light over took us as purple entered my vision. I saw the nurse hanging, a powerful set of hands around her, and a beautiful waif entering the fray, bypassing it for Sonic. It was then an overwhelming feeling of calm lulled me into an easy and restful sleep.

25


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Zelda/Sheik

Our camping group was composed of Gannondorf, Samus, Luigi, Ness, Wario and of course myself. Wario was causing quite a stir about the camp and it was near impossible for anyone to be peaceful when he was around. He was always starting some sort of feud with someone or causing some sort of general chaos such as setting fire to a tent thinking that the best place to put the fire would be inside to ensure that everyone should stay warm. I guess he was well meaning but he was an absolute idiot just the same. I tried to stay away from him, but I found it difficult, Sheik wanted to beat the fool to death. I didn't see the rationality in such an action; it would not solve any problems but create more. I just wanted peace and the tranquility of silence.

It was hard manage my composure when Gannondorf was around, but add to the equation that twisted little man and the combination was enough to drive me to the brink of insanity.

I meandered aimlessly for the majority of the day. Not caring to socialize as had been the hopes of the Master Hand only making brief appearances to help gather food or firewood. Gannondorf seemed to understand that I wanted to be left alone; I was boycotting all contact with him until he bent and told me what it was exactly that I couldn't remember. He avoided the topic quite skillfully and with great caution was able to never even so much as mention it. To say the least it was frustrating.

We had been roommates for one month! I should have the desired information by now, what was wrong with him? Didn't he know that I would be so much more at ease and could sleep peacefully through a night if he would just tell me what I wanted to know? Sometimes I thought to myself, maybe the detail is trivial, this thing I cannot remember, and it is only the excitement of not knowing that is sending me into this panic. This would have been an easily believable theory if it wasn't for the fact that Gannondorf had always been honest with me, had never hid anything from me. whatever he was hiding was truly profound and substantial. I had to know. I would get it out of him, or maybe Sheik….

_Don't even think about it…I'm not going to tell you. It's really awful what he did to you. _

Just give me a hint Sheik, please? I deserve to know. You both say you love me and yet you both keep this secret from me. I don't get either of you. What motives do you have?

_You're well being. You're already damaged as it is. I'm spectral proof of that_.

I shut down my thoughts to meditate, no longer listening to the mad rambles of my alter.

I could no longer rely on him. I was genuinely alone, a foreign feeling for someone in my position. It was almost comforting, serene.

I would never give up, I would dedicatedly keep as this until my questions had been answered. Until then I would make due with his sickness and this betrayal.

"Princess it's time for dinner," it was Luigi. "Samus fixed the meal so you know it's going to be good."

"Thank you Luigi but I am not hungry, please excuse me," I got up to leave. "I will be over there by the lake bed if anyone needs me."

"Princess, do you want me to come with you? Is there anything you need help resolving?" Luigi was very kind, "I have a wife you know I can tell when a woman is sad." He smiled.

"Luigi there is really nothing to be said, I would just like to be alone." I made for the lakebed a couple yards away.

I sat by the water resting my feet in the coldness and watched as the sun went down behind the mountains.

_Princess? I wish I could hold you… _

Stop it Sheik, I hate these conversations. Please control yourself.

_I just wish I could help…_

If you wish to comfort me, Sheik there is a simple solution really. All you have to do is tell me what I have forgotten.

_That is why I don't tell you! My intentions are to keep you comforted. You may not understand that now but you will thank me one day. A day when I can tell you. _

Shut up Sheik, you're lying and you're cruel. You don't know anything about me! What if what you have to tell me, isn't necessarily something that will bother me? You just assume that it will. But it will only put my mind at ease, or do you wish me to loose whatever control I have left of my psyche?

_That is not at all my intensions. I severely disapprove of what he did and I think it best for you if you just forget that the subject was ever brought up!_

I'm not asking for you advice, Sheik, but your reason and your mercy.

_All the things I am giving you…_

It was no use, as the goddess said whatever I wished for Sheik would pray against and so it would be for all time.

I hung my head between my knees.

"Princess?"

I looked to see Luigi, a plate of freshly cooked fish in his outstretched hands, "hungry?"

I smiled I couldn't deny that I was, "very."

"Well I hope you enjoy it," he stood up to leave.

"Thank you Luigi. You'd you..?"

Before I could end my thought, there was a huge uproar from the campsite.

"HELP!! HELP!!"

"What the world?" Luigi took off at a steady pace leading me to the screams. I followed forgetting my food for the interest of what was happening.

When we reached the encampment the answers to our questions of concern were quite apparent.

Ness was missing.

Wario was the one who had been yelling help, "the precious child missing! Just when I was going to pay him a visit!"

I let the men deal with him accordingly, they were far more in control of themselves then I ever could be. We allowed Samus to intervene just towards the end. She with her superior skills of persuasion was able to get the desired information quickly from the culprit. The interrogation was quite short lived.

"I didn't do it!" Samuses gun, though rather barbaric, was a fast instrument.

"It was the Gray Men! They took the child not me!!"

The group collectively asked, "the Gray Men?"

"What are you talking about you fat slob?" Samus forced the gun a few inches closer into his nose.

"The Gray Men? They are small and pale and move very crookedly as if there no bones in their bodies. Their eyes are hollowed and their voice is like the breaking of twigs. My mom use to tell me stories but I never believed until…"

"Why didn't they take you?" Luigi voiced.

"Because I closed my eyes, they can't see you unless light catches your eyes everyone knows that."

"I don't believe you!" Samus threatened to hit him.

"He's telling the truth," I crippling vision shook me. "A barn…and a nurse…"

"Yes?" Gannondorf was next to me, the only one who comprehended what was happening as I fell to my knees.

The vision rumbled through me. Starting suddenly like falling into deep water. There was that first impact hard and strong, always knocking the wind out of me. After this it always begins to fade, as I sink into the depth, the visions become as vague and as far between as the bubbles that I exhale. My lungs burn as I try to catch every sight, sound, or taste every feeling becomes as essential as air. To remember is to struggle and to struggle is a fight for my life and mind. This is what a vision is like.

Like uncontrollable and watery death.

"People…taken…,someone hurt!" I gasped.

"Where?"

"Don't waste your time with that Princess. Why don't you ask the Gray Men yourself…?" Wario laughed.

We were silent as my breath rasped out of my throat. When I had settled back into life I too listened to the moan of the trees and the darkness, cold and eerie about us, suffocating us.

Gannondorf, thunderous voice broke the momentary serenity, "there are more. And they're coming this way."

"We need to leave," Luigi concluded. "We can't beat them all."

"I can," I marked the menacing grin across Gannon's face.

"Then we stay and we fight," Samus looked at all of us, knowing and willing.

"Hey you coward get back here!" Luigi took off after Wario who was sprinting towards the darkness.

"They won't get me!!" Wario proclaimed laughing his sick little head off. He was missing from view in record time.

Luigi skidded to a halt just at the mouth of the black woods, having better sense then he who had come before him.

We heard the screams only seconds later. So is the fate of the rash.

"We don't have to save him do we?" Samus was more concerned with herself that much was obvious.

"No he is not our problem. We have to watch out for ourselves now." I hoped that everyone would agree with me and they did.

Waiting is agonizing in any situation, but to see your enemy in the darkness ahead of you. To see it getting closer through the trees to know that at any minute it will be upon you is a terrible anticipation to have to contend with. To know that they must be near enough to smell before we fight, we have to be close enough to feel their arms around us, close enough to be taken, that's how long we had to wait. Anything else would be folly, to meet them half way would mean being taken into the night.

First there seemed to be one and then there were hundreds all materializing from the shadows. Some had only one eye, others had long claws, but all of them were gray and moving erratically as Wario had said they would.

As soon as they had broken through the mouths of the woods Samus was in action, firing and killing systematically so good at what she did, twenty had dropped before anyone else could attack.

The battle ensued and it tore up the terrain around us toppling trees and scattering dirt making a huge dust cloud rose up from our feet obscuring our vision.

I was scratched, bit, and hit with rouge fireballs from Luigi that singed my dress. But when I was nearly shot by Samus, the bullet just barely missing me, that's when I had to call an end to the battle.

"This is ridiculous, I can't see who or what I'm attacking!"

"Neither can I," Gannondorf grunted as he smashed against one of our assailants, I heard its pieces clattering on the dirt.

"We have to retreat!" Gannon swooped me up in his arms and was far from the chaos in seconds.

We were out of the melee safe and free.

"Alright who's left? Samus?"

No answer.

"Luigi?"

The same ominous silence.

"We are all that's left?" I looked up at Gannondorf, "we should have stayed to help them! We have to go back!"

"We can't Princess! They're gone!" he had yet to let me go, "tell me about your vision."

"It was in an enclosure in the woods, on a hill, to the west where the sun sets."

"Do you think that is where they have been taken?"

I dropped to the ground slinking out of his gripped, "yes, I am absolutely certain." I started out but before I could make it very far, he grabbed hold of me.

"Yes, but are you certain that you are alright?" He stroked my face as his eyes skimmed over me. He planted a kiss on my forehead before I could protest.

"I hate seeing you fight, you're beautiful and a force to be reckoned with, but I am always so afraid for your safety. I never want you to be hurt. To see you in pain would be the end of me," he kissed me again this time on the cheek, his saliva burnt me and his words fell on deaf ears.

"We have to find the others," I pushed his away moving as speedily as my shaking legs would allow.

"We have a minute, come here," he spun me with ease to fall right into his chest which I melted into, defenseless. "Those three can handle themselves. I just need a second to talk to you." He lowered his voice and his head to breathe into my ear, "you have to forgive me Zelda. I am very sorry for all that has happened. I do not wish for us to be enemies but it seems that is your desire." He squeezed me about the waist, tight enough to make me forcibly exhale.

"No Gannondorf that's not what I want at all…it just…"

"What I am not telling you, I know," this was the first time he had mentioned it in a mouth. My heart started thudding in my chest so hard as to break my ribcage. "About what you forgot."

"Tell me…!" I looked up at him; he kissed me pulling me into his body. We were pressed so close together I could feel the warmth of his him, abnormally elevated due to his extended life in the arid climates of the desert.

_Don't let him touch you! What are you doing? Stop this! Stop it!_

Sheik's voice was insignificant.

_Are you listening to me? Goddamn it Zelda! He's awful, terrible!_

Quiet Sheik or I will never talk to you again!!

_You are just setting yourself up for disappointment. He will never be the man you want him to be!_

I ignored Sheiks protest and we kissed for a long time, and when I tried to escape his clutches, Sheik finally physically interfering, he grasped tighter. Holding to me as if his well being depended upon never letting go.

His body temperature rose despite the night air that was chilling me, I was shivering. Or had it nothing to do with the weather? His hands were running their way up and down my hips; he longer had to hold me. I did not have the will to oppose him.

Gannondorf pulled away, "can't you just leave this alone? Can't you just trust me to know what is best for you?"

My lips ached in the absence of his, "I do not know."

"We can be so happy. Forget it and we can live together in peace!"

"I really want…"

"WATCH OUT PRINCESS!!" Gannondorf pushed me behind him, "get behind me."

"My goodness…!" I could see so many Gray Men ahead of us, how were we ever going to escape?

Gannondorf spoke, "let's go!" He clutched my wrist and ran, to my surprise, into the forest, fending off everything that approached us.

"Are we going the right way Princess?"

"Yes! Keep going!"

"As you wish," he smiled devilishly over his shoulder at me. He was very destructive, my Gannondorf, every time he fought anything, the area around the brawl was wrecked beyond repair. It was no different this night. Trees were set on fire and the ground was turbulent under our feet as his power shook it forming fissures and deep crevices. Time slowed down, our enemies moving sluggishly in comparison with the stealth of Gannondorf's attacks. We were safely through the chaos in seconds; I did not even have to lift a finger in my defense. Gannondorf, though one man, was able to extend his presence all around us, cutting off the efforts of those hoping to come at us from behind. Did he have eyes in the back of his head?

At some point during the massacre, one couldn't really call it a fight, his glance caught mine and he smirked, winking one of his amber eyes as he thrust a fist through the chest of a Gray Man.

"Impressed?" his expression seemed to say.

How could I not be, I felt the blood rushing to my face. Why did he do this to me?

"Gannondorf we have to make a right or we will miss it!"

"Yes, Princess. Just lead the way!" He blasted a huge group of the Gray Men from our path.

I took the lead darting as fast as I could through the brush and past the Gray Men that reached their large claws out to me. I ran until I could only hear one pair of footsteps behind me, like a stampede. I could only hear Gannondorf.

Seeing became more and more difficult as trees increased in density around us, but I could feel that we were heading downhill, the exact direction we did not want to be going.

I slipped, catching my foot under a root and tripping I tumbled down what remained of the hill. I slid, my fall coming to a clumsy cessation as I grabbed at the ground gasping and out of breath. Gannondorf dropped to his knees next to me.

"Are you alright?" he offered his hand to me.

"Yes, I am fine," I moved the hair from my face; I would pick the twigs and debris from it later.

He lay himself down on the dirt, "that was exciting wasn't it?"

"Hardly!" I scolded him, "we have to keep moving! We have to help the others; we have already wasted too much time! No thanks to you!" Sheik was surfacing.

"Oh, vicious and not very grateful at all!" he rolled over to face me.

"Grateful for what?" I stood up trying to head off Sheiks verbal assault.

"Hmm…" Gannondorf remained, sitting up he asked, "do you hear that?"

I listened intently, "yes what is it?"

The sound was faint and very frail. The person who made it seemed almost afraid to bring anything to it's' attention, but was desperate at the same time to be rescued. Whatever it was needed immediate help.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gannondorf smiled evilly, "I'd recognize the sound of a damsel in distress anywhere."

I listened again carefully and heard the word squeaked almost incoherently,

"Help!"

"Please help us!"

"It's Peach and Jigglypuff!"

Gannondorf was on the move and within minutes had found the victims. They were by the lakebed, soaking wet, wrist tied behind their backs, and looking altogether distraught. He first picked up Peach and moved her to dry land; I went for Jigglypuff coddling her trembling body in my arms.

"What happened to you guys?" I already knew the answer.

"These things came for us! They took Meta Knight!" Jigglypuff pleaded with her eyes, "we have to save him!"

"What did they do to you?" Gannondorf's proximity to the Princess Peach was making me shamelessly jealous.

"They tied us up and then threw us in the lake," Princess Peach coughed.

"How did you manage to get out?"

"I may be a princess but I'm not useless," Peach smiled.

"Yeah, and I float really well!" Jigglypuff laughed but it was without humor.

"They tried to drown you?" Gannondorf was livid, "they would have no doubt done the same to you!" He threw the statement in my face like an insult.

"Do you either of you know where Samus is?"

They both shook their heads.

By this time I had untied and let Jigglypuff down. Peach was also freed.

"We have to help them. Sonic has saved my life. I need to repay the favor."

"I understand," I said. "We need to head this way. I recognized that oak from my vision."

We traveled a very short while before we saw it in the distance, the foreboding place. I could smell death and blood in the air around us as the thick as the fog that was rolling in. I heard howling wolves on the horizon as we neared the entrance to the barn.

"This will be terrible," I warned my company. "What we see in here will be very disturbing. I remember the feeling of sickness in my vision and it was in reference to this very moment."

"Tell us Princess, we need to be warned of what is to come."

"Someone is going to be fatally wounded, I don't know who…"

"Will it be one of us?" Jigglypuff asked.

"No, it will be someone in the barn."

Jigglypuff's body quake, Peach clasped her hand over mouth, but Gannondorf remained indifferent.

"I'm willing to fight at all cost!" Jigglypuff put up one of her fists, "if they have done anything to Meta Knight, I'll kill 'em!"

It was strange to see her threatening.

Peach nodded her head in agreement.

We heard someone yelling.

Peach eyes became wide, "is that them?"

"No. that is coming from the woods."

We listened again following the voice until we came upon a massive tree. Samus was tight to it fighting off with only one foot a pack of ravenous dogs.

"Get the hell off me!" She kicked furiously at the faces of her persecutors.

We ran to her, "hang on Samus!"

The dogs heard us approaching, they became even more ferocious and desperate lunging at the helpless Samus, tearing at her heels again and again.

They were formidable things, huge, with long spindle like hair. I went to strike one and was cut upon contact with their thorn like fur. They had huge talons for feet and massive jaws that snapped closed like a bear trap, with a gnash and snap. I avoid them as best I could but did not emerge from the skirmish unscathed.

I reached Samus finally, "are you alright?"

"No I'm not bloody alright! Have you seen what they've done to my Ankle?"

He was referring to the bloody mess of skin and torn muscle that use to be an acceptable ankle, now it was unrecognizable as such. Every movement she made caused a stream of blood to spurt from the holes that the dog's teeth had created. I tried to calm her, soothe her.

"That's gonna take forever to heal!"

"We will help you I promise Samus. It's not that bad," I could see the bone and even it had teeth marks across it. Puss flowed from it's splinters. I could have healed her right there but then I may not be able to heal whoever maybe wounded in the barn. It was nearly impossible to muster enough power to heal one person every few moons, two in one day would surely kill me.

"Gannondorf can you break these chains?" I held out the massive links.

"Of course," he flew from the battle leaving Peach and Jigglypuff both heroic, to fight the beast. He held fast to them and chanted something I could not hear. The chains turned to powder and dust in his hand.

"Shit!" The chains no longer there to keep her upright, Samus crashed to the dirt twisting and causing even more damage to her bleeding ankle. I ran to her.

"Are you alright?" Samus clung to me, using me as support.

"I've had worse, believe me. Though this is extremely unpleasant, don't get me wrong."

"Gannondorf," there was a piercing scream from the barn. "We have to go now! But someone has to watch over her," I looked around all the dogs, thanks to Jigglypuff and Peach had retreated, "just in case they come back."

Samus stood up, "I can look after myself." She let go of me too prideful to except help, and fell right down again, her ankle snapping angrily under her.

"We'll do it!" Princess Peach seemed reluctant to comply with Jigglypuff, "I know I couldn't bear to see what has happened in their, especially if…" Jigglypuff choked on the rest of her sentence, unable to speak and confront her worst fear.

"Do you wish to stay with Jigglypuff Princess Peach? I'm sure she would need your help if anything should decide to return. You can smell this blood for miles," Gannondorf was quite serious. He was a countersue of blood himself.

Peach hesitated, "okay but we should try to get her to some shelter." We looked around, "there seems to be a shed behind the barn."

"Right," Gannondorf took the hint, picking up the wounded mercenary, carting her to the shed, Samus protesting loudly the whole way. Peach and Jigglypuff followed.

I was left alone, the sounds coming from the barn made my throat close up as I threatened to spill tears. I put my hand over my mouth as a sob escaped my lips. An exceptionally loud wail exited who ever was being tortured. The sounds were so awful that I stopped and prayed to my Goddess.

Gannondorf was behind me his arms around my trembling waist, "Samus and the others will be fine in that shed it's quite sturdy. But you are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know…" it was true. I hated to see any suffering in any form. Anything pained or agonized took apart of me into their misery. I was too compassionate; I did not posses the ability to dissociate myself from the scenes of agony I had to so often as a princess encounter. I cringed with the thought of what I was going to see in only a few short moments. I covered my eyes as if I could will my duties out of existence.

_Don't_ _be so cowardly…it's not that awful…I could handle it._

"Come with me Princess it will be okay," Gannondorf so jaded, had the adverse feeling towards the pain of others. Everyone had done something in their lives at some point to merit torture.

Sheik you have to take over, at least for a little while.

_I don't want to._

Then take over when necessary. If I cannot find the strength to move you have to be my legs. If I start to black out or cry you have to be my courage to persevere, you have to!

_I will do it for you, though I don't want anything to do with him._

You do not even have to deal Gannondorf if you so desire. Just help me. Because I cannot bring myself to even pass through those doors…

There was another scream…Peach cried out,

"It's Sonic! We have to do something!" Peach was torn, not wanting to leave Samus she begged with her eyes, "hurry you guys!"

I swallowed hard, "let's go." My stomach was already nauseas, I felt faint, and my head was pounding.

We breached the heavy doors. It was a monstrosity what I say before me. A woman breathing over Meta Knight a long and bloodied dagger poised to stab in her hand. Meta Knight looked positively dismal his wing was tore nearly from its socket, and he was bleeding profusely from his wounds, yet he remained conscious.

Gannondorf took after the woman before she could unleash her ill will onto poor Meta Knight. It was then I saw Sonic.

His breathing was sharp and frantic, every breath seemed to catch him off guard and he would writhe from the effort of exhalation. His eyes were rolled so far in his head he appeared to be without pupils. His wrist were cut and dripping from pulling at his restraints in futility. He was cut open between the legs so severely that his blood and insides were laid out under him. The table he was strapped on was drenched in his blood, leaking off the edges from all side collecting into a puddle deep enough to drown a person. Sonic's back arched as his mouth opened in a silent gape as he choked on his own fluids. He was shivering from head to toe, he was going into shock.

_Go Princess, you have to go now! _

I heard Sheiks voice of confidence and he moved me.

I was next to Sonic undoing his lock, blasting them into oblivion, before I realized what was happening.

Thank you Sheik.

_Save him! _

Sonic lashed out at me, a scared animal. He went rigid when I touched him, hissing and spitting, putting up as much of a fight as he could. I spoke to him, "you're alright now Sonic." Even though he wasn't.

His eyes were glazed, unseeing but he recognized my voice, going limp in my arms.

"You can hear me?" He tried to say something but this mouth was thick with blood, which poured out.

"Hold on I'm going to heal you. Everything will be fine," I looked up to see Gannondorf throw that wretched woman across the room right into her hanging instruments of torture. She was scratched, skewered and of all things…I think…

smiling.

I could see Meta Knight only vaguely, next to him was Fox. Both wounded and bleeding but neither as bad as the one now in my arms. I put a calming aura around the barn and watched as Meta Knight and Fox succumbed to it. Meta Knight who had been staring in wonder at the chaos, shut his lids and flopped limply back onto the table.

He was asleep and so was Fox.

Now I just needed to worry about Sonic.

I put my forehead against his, wanting to hold him as close as possible. He was so cold. Sheik help me…

I could feel tears welling up as the desire to faint overwhelmed.

_Goddamn it Zelda!_ Sheik shocked my system forcing my eyes open. Sheik was in control now and Gannondorf was by his side.

"I scared that woman off. I'm not sure where she's hidden herself but we are free of her for the moment," he looked to Sheik. "The princess couldn't handle herself could she?"

"She's not heartless like you," Sheik moved my body and told my mind, _build up your power as much as possible and when your ready let me know. _

"When will she heal him? He doesn't have much time," Gannondorf indifferently examined the hedgehog. He wiped a dribble of blood from Sonic's chin. Sonic did not seem to feel the touch.

Now, Sheik.

Sheik forced my hand to Sonic's wounds as I began the healing prayer. It's quite strange the feeling of healing another, it takes so much of yourself that a part of you remains always in the poor soul you heal. I saw in my minds eye, hands working their way through Sonic, repairing what was tore and mending all that was broken. They had to twist under arteries and past his intestines which were hemorrhaging, up to his heart to restart its' natural rhythm. To heal his lungs so his breathing was no longer labored I had to soothe their inflammation. He gasped when I reached into them spitting blood, opening his airway. He grabbed at me his hands tearing my dress. I could tell by the drastic change in his body's physiology that his pain was passing and leaving in its place a bizarre form of arousal.

_Watch out,_ Sheik jested; _you might give the boy an erection._

Silence!

Some people think that the closest two people can be is during love making. Those people are not healers. To be inside a person and to be among their deepest thoughts, uninvited, are two completely different sensations. I was Sonic for a long moment. I lusted for all he did and saw his last worldly thoughts, and he mine. I had to give myself, but he was not without sacrifice either. Sonic had to endure me groping about in his most sensitive regions, places where no other woman, no other human could ever venture. He could surely feel my phantom arms deep within, warm and spreading relief from his suffering quicker then any medicine could. It was a most sensual experience of this I am certain.

Sonic breathed a long throaty sigh as I reached his subconscious.

"Where is she?" Gannondorf must have known judging by the very obvious external reactions of Sonic.

"She's in the brain," Sheik spoke for me.

"Does she know what to do?"

"Yes, of course she does! This isn't her first heal job," Sheik was short with Gannondorf. "Why what should she do?"

"She needs to erase his memory of this. Of all of this."

"NO!" Sheik was fiercely opposed.

Why not Sheik? I asked very seriously, how could he live with the memory of this pain?

_You've had your memory altered, do you think it was for the best? How much torture has that loss caused you?_

What? I had a precious clue, who altered my memories? Sheik!?

There was stubborn silence before, _who do you think?_

He…he erased my memory? That is why I cannot recall what happened in his castle?

"Gannondorf!" I forced my way to the surface, "why did you do it?"

"What do you mean?" he feigned innocence.

"You are why I cannot remember anything! You made me forget!"

Gannondorf could no longer pretend, "sometimes it is best to forget."

"But I never asked to forget! Why did you just assume!"

"Look! You are healing this boy without his permission but you know that it is best that you do!"

I could feel Sonic's breath on my neck, shaky but even paced. As I dove deeper into his psyche his ecstasy became overpowering. His teeth bore into my skin as his hands entwined around tight balls of my clothes. When his bites became unbearable he replaced them with kisses. He was still covered in blood but all his wounds had been closed, he was now in a supreme state of euphoria, feeling so miraculously good after such immense pain that I forgave him for his trespasses.

"This is different Gannon…"

"Something's you do because you know they're right. With or without consent. Now erase his memory of this! Look at him! Do you think he will be able to live normally if you allow this memory to haunt him? "

"I will see how terrible it is…"

I had found his memories. I saw milestones of his childhood; I went further, his first kiss, further yet. I saw Peach and I knew I was close, how often he thought of her. If only Gannondorf did the same of me. I saw his date with her, then a kiss. I gasped and cried, feeling as sickeningly happy as he had that day. Nothing like mine and Gannondorf's kiss so much more passionate. This memory sucked me deep into its pathos and it was hard to break away from it, it was strong, he had recalled the moment many times. I felt arousal and anger, confusion just as he had in every memory I uncovered until I reached an hour ago.

I screamed as excruciating pain raped my senses. Gannondorf had to keep me upright as my body threatened to fail me.

"Are you going to let him live with that? Are you?"

I felt the spear in my organs, the twisted and pulling. The continuous thrusting caused me to break down and cry.

"Do it Zelda you have to!"

I could barely hear him, the pain was so loud.

I took hold of the memory absorbing it as effectively as I could making sure to take every piece. When I had captured it I stood up leaving the mended Sonic on the ground beside Gannondorf. I crawled as far as I could while the memory rose like bile in my stomach spilling out fire from my throat onto the barn floor.

Gannondorf took his place by my side, "you made the right decision. He will be all the better for it." He attempted to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" I feebly pushed him away.

"Zelda please…"

His statement was interrupted by the sound of doors slamming open. Peach, Jigglypuff and Samus entered the barn.

"Oh my God!" Peach ran to Sonic, taking him up in her arms. "Sonic can you hear me?"

"He's fine Princess, Zelda healed him. He will wake soon."

"Sonic?" Peach held him fast to her chest.

Sonic stirred slightly, burying his face into her neck. He seemed to understand suddenly clinging tenaciously to the Princess. Peach started whispering into Sonic's ear causing the hedgehog to flush and shiver. Though, I was happy to see that they were both going to survive…

It pained me to look at them.

Sonic's love for Peach was as shining and evident as the stars in a clear night sky. My journey into his memories was a curse. I craved the same attention he gave, but not from the hedgehog of course, rather from my Evil King. Why could not everyone just live happily in love with one another? Why was there always so much to complicate? Why had not Gannondorf just told me from the beginning that it had been him who had made me forget? I felt a sense of contentment knowing that it had been him who had altered my consciousness and not some unknown force. Gannondorf at least made the decision out of kindness and caring, not maliciousness and a will to cause any discomfort.

_Don't you want to know why?_

No Sheik. I do not. If it is anything like Sonic's memory I'd rather it just be forgotten.

_He did a horrible thing to you that's why he erased your memory, not out of kindness but because he doesn't want you to know that a terrible man he is. _

I don't care Sheik!

"Zelda?" I turned to Jigglypuff, "is Meta Knight okay?"

"Meta Knight is just fine though he may seem otherwise. He's quite alright."

Jigglypuff was looking up at the table her friend lay upon with wide liquid eyes, "Meta Knight?"

"Gannondorf, we need to get everyone out of her as fast as possible. Take Samus and Meta Knight. Peach can you carry Sonic?"

She had already lifted him, "yes."

"I'll take Fox then. We need to find Luigi, Ness and Falco."

"There's another room, perhaps they are there?"

We found the missing three, all of them were conscious and unharmed.

Apparently she had separated the men in rooms by who she found interesting enough to play with and then those she had no want of.

These ones were very lucky.

We got everyone home to our quiet mansion. Everyone else was still camping; their adventures had not been interrupted so rudely.

Wario, Luigi and Ness all excused themselves to their bedrooms; everyone was exhausted from the nights events.

Falco who had carried Fox in my stead took him to the hospital wing, promising his friend that everything would be alright. Tomorrow would be a better day.

Gannondorf took Meta knight to the hospital wing as well followed closely by Jigglypuff.

I was left with Peach and Sonic.

"Should I take him to the hospital wing?"

"No, I do not think that necessary. Just take him to his room, but keep your eye on him if you would be so kind."

She nodded, "when will he wake up?"

Sonic was limp in the Princesses arms, I told her not to expect him to wake until the morning.

She left and I followed, Sonic's room was just down the hall from me and Gannondorf's.

Peach was struggling with the password.

"It is 2167," I smiled at her remembering the numbers from Sonic's memories.

"Thanks Zelda, you're a life saver, literally," she added looking at Sonic's chest as it rose and fell.

"Thank you Peach you are very kind."

Lying asleep that night I had an awful dream.

_I'm going to show you…I can't let you forget, you must not forgive!_

It was Sheik's voice essentially, but there was a tone I had never before heard in him, one of resentment not towards Gannondorf, but towards me.

_I'm going to show you, show you everything!! Then you will hate him as you should!!_

I saw a vision of myself naked across a bed Gannondorf was over me clothed staring at the curve of my stomach, swollen.

_Do you see? Do you!!_

Sheik's voice hurt me the sound was so harsh and unlike him. Something else was inside me.

Gannondorf leaned over the figure of me touching my stomach tentatively.

I shook in the waking world, feeling the memory of his touch. With those rough calloused hands he had once made me melt.

His hands ran their way up to my neck, and then the vision was interrupted.

_He doesn't want you to see! Still he tries to keep his dirty secret. _

I felt pain and saw red, why was this happening?

_Do you feel that pain? That's what he did to you!_

The vision came in and out, fading. I saw a struggle, the tearing of flesh, and blood so much blood. Even more then Sonic had shed today.

STOP IT SHEIK! I don't want to see!!

I saw a body being pulled from mine, a faceless head and a solid rolling torso, and Gannondorf's hands around it.

My consciousness refused to acknowledge what it was being shown and I black out completely into a restful and dark coma.


End file.
